Finding Peace
by Christina B
Summary: When tragedy strikes, Jacob runs away, and Leah learns to move on. Years later disastrous events bring them together again. AU Blackwater! ON HIATUS- UP FOR ADOPTION!
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight unfortunately, though I would be willing to buy Leah and Jacob with my nonexistent funds.

AN: As a long standing Blackwater fan, I've decided to finally make my first attempt at a story since Breaking Dawn made me cry. Just so everyone is aware this story is going to be VERY AU, and I'm sorry if you guys love Bella, but she dies in the prologue, sorry. I do like Bella very much, but her death is necessary for my plot. So with no further ado, I hope you guys enjoy this. It is going to be one wild ride, I promise.

**Finding Peace**

**Prologue**

_**Two Years Ago (Jacob's POV)**_

_I can't take it anymore! _I thought bitterly as I ran swiftly through the forest as a wolf. The hot tears I felt trickling down my furred face were dried almost as quickly as they fell. I wondered if there is a limit to how much pain a person can take before they die from the pure misery of it. If so then I'm certainly in trouble of succumbing to the dark thoughts and sadness that overwhelms me.

She is gone, and will never come back. Bella the girl I've loved since I first met her is dead, dying in the most tragic way possible. And it was all HIS fault! I growled softly as I thought of the leech who killed my love. Sure Edward Cullen said he loved her, but he was the one who killed her. If she hadn't gotten pregnant with his devil child then Bella would still be alive. But she was no more, and the only piece of her still alive is in her infant daughter Renesmee.

I ran from the stinking bloodsucker's mansion as soon as I knew that Bella was dead. Her heart stopped beating before her vamp husband had the chance to save her life with his nasty venom. I couldn't even bear to look at their spawn because I knew I would want to kill it if I did. So I left and phased to my wolf form as soon as possible. Bearing the pain as a human is bad enough, as a werewolf I can distract myself other ways.

_Jake! Man I'm sorry! _I heard the voice of my friend Embry Call say in my mind. I've always hated that my pack can hear each other's thoughts as wolves and this time was no exception. I don't want to talk to anyone including one of my best friends.

_I don't need your pity Embry. _I muttered. _Go away!_

_Don't leave. _I heard my other best friend Quil Ateara think. The thought was echoed by Seth Clearwater.

But before I had a chance to think up my annoyed reply, Leah Clearwater spoke up.

_Just ease off him guys, and go chase your tails or something._

_Make me._ Quil muttered angrily in reply.

_Says the child who's dating a child. _Leah quipped knowing she would easily anger Quil by reminding him that he imprinted on a two year old.

_I didn't—_Quil protested, but I'd had enough. _Cool it guys and phase out. I need some time to think._

Nobody phased, and I got annoyed. _Phase out or I'll make you!_

Normally I didn't like to threaten with my Alpha command, but they'd pushed me to it. I needed some time alone, and I needed to deal with my ensuing grief. Finally I felt three phase. That only left…_Leah! Go away!_

_Just let me say something and I'll be more than happy to leave you be. _She declared in annoyance.

_What?!?_

_Thank you. _She said simply.

_For what? _

_Freeing me from Sam._

_Who are you and what have you done with the real Leah? _I asked because the thought of the ever bitter Leah thanking me was just too weird.

_I'm not always a bitch. You guys just push me to it._

_Whatever Leah, say what you need to say and go!_

_Just this…Don't let your loss rule your life. Don't let one tragic event form who you are as a person. Life is too short and it's totally not worth it. Take it from the expert. I hope you find your peace Jacob._

And then she was gone. I wanted to curse at her, to rage declare that she had no idea what I'm going through, but at the same time I realized on another level that she was entirely right. Still I had no intention of listening to her because it was to torturous to deal with my grief in any other way. I howled then as I continued to run and I let the wolf in me take over. Only he could numb the pain.

AN: I hope you guys liked this little story of mine thus far and I would be grateful for a review of any kind. Thank you!


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight unfortunately, though I would be willing to buy Leah and Jacob with my nonexistent funds.

AN: Thanks everyone for your wonderful reviews. I was so encouraged that I decided to update this today. Just to warn you guys, I know that the prologue was in 1st person POV, but from here on out it will all be in 3rd person POV since that just seemed to work out best for me. Also from here until I otherwise say so it will be from Leah's POV. I hope that won't confuse anyone too much. Well onto the story, enjoy!

**Finding Peace**

**Chapter 1**

Leah Clearwater looked at the clock on the wall and wished for the hundredth time in the last hour that the long day would soon be over. Currently she was enduring yet another lecture from her long winded instructor. Classes for being a nurse's aide were long and the stuff she was taught was mostly common sense, but at the same time Leah was incredibly grateful to be here.

It had been two years since Jacob left and two years since Bella Cullen met her tragic end when she brought her daughter into the world. After Jacob left things slowly got back to normal in La Push, the reservation Leah called home her whole life. The Cullens didn't stay long after Bella died in childbirth, and despite the fact that Leah never liked Bella or her family of bloodsuckers, she did feel sympathy for them.

Being the lone female werewolf in a pack full of overgrown teenage boys was not what Leah intended to do her entire life, so she soon stopped phasing for good. She had loved being the Beta of Jacob's pack, but the thing was that she needed to get away. There were too many hurtful memories associated with being a werewolf. She was still dealing with the fact that Sam Uley, her high school sweetheart left her for Leah's dearest cousin. Being away from both of them was incredibly good for maintain her sanity and that is why she left.

When Leah first came here, to Seattle, she enrolled in a community college and did what she planned initially, taking yoga and classes that would help her deal with her emotions. But the thing was that it didn't really do her any good. Trying not to phase when her anger management instructor told her something completely idiotic and totally bogus meant that all the classes were a horrible failure.

After that she took some time to decide what she wanted to pursue as far as a career was concerned and ironically enough she ended up going for a job field where blowing up at people is not allowed ever. Despite what her former pack mates thought she was never compassionless, nor by nature very cruel. Leah only treated them like that because it was her best defense mechanism at the time. She did like to help people, and when she felt she was in control of herself enough Leah decided she would get into the medical field.

Leah's mom Sue was thrilled to pieces when she heard that Leah decided to be a nurse, since Sue herself was a registered nurse. But nursing school was on hold at the moment since Leah really didn't have the tuition money. Yes she had a scholarship when she graduated from high school but since the werewolf thing interfered, it was no longer valid by the time she was ready to apply. So because nursing aide school was relatively cheap and quick, she was going to get her certification and work her way through nursing school. One thing was for sure she would definitely take classes of any kind then being stuck in La Push for all eternity.

As it was, Leah's brother Seth was always trying to get her to come down for the weekend. He was an eternal optimist and Leah herself had been the complete opposite for a few years now. Life didn't treat her well, and as a result Leah never hesitated to take it out on anyone who crossed her. There was of course one definite difference and that was the fact that she no longer phased into a werewolf.

For the last couple of years Leah did absolutely everything in her power to give up her shape shifting abilities. It wasn't easy and it took her a long time to get over the urge to phase, but she succeeded in the end. But the problem was that she still had all the symptoms of being a werewolf. She still had the ridiculous body temperature, she still had super strength and her wolf senses, but worst of all she still had not gotten her period. Unfortunately it seemed she would be the freaky girl wolf for all eternity, even when she no longer phased. It seemed to Leah that her life would always be cursed by the stupid werewolf gene.

All of a sudden Leah was drawn out of her reverie by the sound of her classmates standing. With a quick glance at the clock she realized that the final hour had gone by quickly while she was daydreaming. And unfortunately she didn't take any notes which meant she would have to bug one of the other students about it later. Leah sighed as she pick up her books, purse, and headed outside to climb into her old Ford Escort.

The engine kicked to life and Leah quickly drove the five miles back to her apartment complex as quickly as possible. One of the side effects of being a werewolf was that Leah learned to love speed, and though she no longer did it on four legs, she was always pushing her little car to its limits. It was very fortunate that she was lucky enough never to get a speeding ticket, since Leah really couldn't afford one anyway.

When Leah finally opened the door and walked into her living room three minutes later, it was all she could do but to throw everything down at the door way and drop down into her recliner with a sigh of relief. However, before she made a single movement Leah heard a soft meow and she glared down at the culprit. Her cat Tiger was looking up at her with a pleading expression on his face before rubbing her legs affectionately.

Leah couldn't help the smile that spread across her face and bent down to pick up the grey and tiger striped cat with her free hand. The cat of course gave out a protest the moment his feet left the ground. "You can't even let me walk in the door before you start begging me for food?" She said, rolling her eyes. The cat just purred.

Most people (meaning her former pack mates in La Push) thought it was downright hilarious that Leah owned a cat since after all she used to morph into a giant canine. But she fell in love with Tiger when she rescued him as a kitten a year ago, and subsequently hand raised him. Not to mention the fact that if she were to buy a dog, it most likely wouldn't be allowed in her apartment. Leah respected cats as a whole, THEY at least were independent and didn't take crap from anyone. And that was a personality trait that she could totally identify with.

Leah moved to set Tiger down on the arm of her armchair and she fell back beside him, dropping her books and purse to the floor in the same movement. She glanced at her answering machine and saw with annoyance that she had two messages. She really didn't want to listen to them, but her curiosity won and she started to play back the messages.

"Leah, dear," said the calm tone of Leah's mother Sue. "You never called me today and I was wondering how the class was going."

Leah sighed, her mother would want a blow by blow account, and it would take quite a bit to satisfy her.

"And Leah, you are coming to Emily's baby shower tomorrow, right? Let me know."

Leah felt another twinge of annoyance. She really didn't care to go to the shower at all, and not because she wasn't over Sam, but because Emily always seemed to flaunt her good fortune in Leah's face. The thing was that Emily never realized she was doing it since she was too good hearted of a person, but Leah still felt the sting especially because Sam would be there. And Leah didn't really want to return to La Push at all, but it seemed that her mother was going to guilt her into it, a talent that she mercilessly used on her children. Leah was more immune to it than Seth was, but she still felt guilty. And Sue didn't disappoint.

"I really miss you honey, and so does Seth. It isn't good for you to be away so much. Please come down tomorrow. Leah, I love you and Charlie says hi."

Charlie was Charlie Swan, Sue's steady boyfriend. Leah was really happy that her Mom had found happiness with Charlie, but the thing was she didn't want another father. And not only that it was always so incredibly bizarre for Leah to see her mother in love, and Leah never admitted the fact that she was jealous.

By no means was Leah jealous of Charlie, but she was jealous of the notion of being in love. Leah still remembered her carefree days with Sam, and she wished that she could fall in love again someday because only them she would hopefully be able to heal her still badly torn heart. But life loved to piss on Leah, so she doubted she would ever fall in love again, and if she did Leah would feel terrible for the guy who got such a miserable bitch as herself.

The machine beeped and she listened as the second message start and soon her brother's overly cheerful voice broke the silence.

"Hey sis! Mom says you're coming down this weekend! We definitely have to catch up, by the way Embry and Quil say hi. Well anyway have a great night and see you tomorrow!"

Leah sighed again. Mom had trained Seth well, and while she might be able to defeat Sue's methods of persuasion, Leah was hopeless when it came to Seth. She groaned as she realized what going home would mean. Unlike Leah, Seth remained a wolf along with his pals Embry Call and Quil Ateara. And of course none of them had filters and would constantly remind Leah of things she would rather forget. What they considered reminiscing, Leah considered torture.

Sulkily she realized she was stuck, she had to go to La Push. It was going to be a very long weekend.

An: Yep she's back to La Push next chapter and she's definitely not going to be happy about it. I will try to have the next chapter up either tomorrow or the following day. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight unfortunately, though I would be willing to buy Leah and Jacob with my nonexistent funds.

**Finding Peace**

**Chapter 2**

The following morning she was trying to deal with her growing aggravation as she drove down to La Push the next morning. She really didn't understand why Emily persisted in torturing her. Honestly if it had been the other way around she wouldn't want to invite the girl who used to date her husband, but of course Emily was family and so Leah was forced to always associate with her…And with Sam. But then again Leah thought, if a guy fell for me and then dumped his long term girlfriend would I really trust him? But then she remembered imprinting, and to Leah it was the foulest word imaginable.

Imprinting was the start of Leah's problems. If Sam never imprinted on Emily then Leah would be the one married to Sam right now, and if neither of them carried a werewolf gene then maybe she would be the one expecting Sam's child. Leah was over Sam, but at the same time she didn't think she would ever totally forgive them despite the fact it wasn't entirely their fault. It was fate's cruel hand dealt to Leah that made it so she had lost the carefree and naïve days of her past and could only embrace the cold hard facts of her new existence.

As Leah continued her to drive she suddenly started to recognize the landmarks as she slowly started to approach La Push. Slowly because she was in no rush to get there and wasn't speeding for a change. It had been months since her return but everything looked the way that it always did since the reservation never seemed to change. As she looked up at the mountains sloping down to the Pacific, Leah felt such a longing to be here. If only La Push wasn't tainted by so many horrible memories.

It wasn't long before Leah was finally pulling up in front of the home she spend the first twenty years of her life. And of course her ever eager little brother Seth was approaching her car though perhaps he wasn't so little anymore. Seth was now seventeen and he had finally overcome his teenage lankiness and was starting to look like more like a man than a teenage boy. Him being a werewolf with an accelerated growth gene certainly didn't hurt any.

"Leah!" Seth exclaimed, a huge grin spreading on his face. "Long time no see, sis."

"Hey Seth," Leah said mustering a small smile right before her brother enfolded her in a huge bear hug.

"Good to see you too," Leah muttered when she finally caught her breath again. "What have you been up to?"

Seth shrugged. "The usual, high school, patrolling," he replied.

"And how is your senior year going?" Leah questioned, not really wanting to hear about the latter.

"Boring," Seth muttered. "This place isn't as much fun as it was a couple years ago."

Leah rolled her eyes. "You just miss hanging out with the leeches, I always knew you had a crush on that mind reading idiot."

"I also miss Jake," he replied sadly which on Seth looked like someone had stolen his favorite toy. It looked incredibly pathetic to Leah.

"How is he?" Leah asked, not able to stop her curiosity.

"No clue, he's gotten good at hiding his thoughts from us," Seth answered sadly.

"Leah!" came a new voice and Leah looked up to see her mom walking out of the front door. She grinned nearly as wide as Seth had only moments ago as she gave Leah a quick hug.

"You've arrived just in time," Sue said with relief. "Emily wanted to know if we would help set up for the shower. She wants us there in an hour."

Leah nodded and smiled since at the moment any verbal response would certainly earn an angry remark from her mother. _Let the torment begin_, she thought bitterly.

The baby shower for Emily and Sam's baby boy was in full swing and just a half an hour into it and Leah was already pissed. This had to be the second worst torture she'd ever been through, the worst being the day that she was a bridesmaid at their wedding. To Leah's intense dismay Sam was attending the shower. Apparently he was so obsessively in love with his wife that he could let her attend the all women event without him. It was pathetic.

Already during the shower there was a questionnaire game which had Leah participated in, she would've won first prize since after all Emily and Sam's happiest memories were Leah's worst. There were some other lames games as well such as the "guess how big Emily's belly is" game and the "guess the baby food game", all of which Leah declined to play. And her unwillingness was unfortunately noticed by the other women who all thought she must still be pining for Sam. As if!

At last the games were over and Emily and Sam moved on to opening their gifts. It was at this point that Leah was desperate to escape the sappiness of it all and she excused herself to go to the bathroom when everyone was distracted by Emily's expression of joy over the cutesy little onesies she just unwrapped. But right before she made her exit, she bumped into Rachel Black.

"Sorry, Leah," Rachel said giving Leah space to move.

Leah just nodded and stepped forward to make her escape.

"Wait."

Leah inwardly sighed and turned to look at Rachel because there had been a tone in her voice that Leah recognized, it was grief. She vaguely wondered what was wrong with Rachel, but then again there must be lots of things wrong with her since she did marry the ever annoying Paul. Years ago the two had been friends, but since high school they hardly ever talked anymore.

"What is it?" Leah asked, trying without much luck not to sound irritated.

"Its…Jacob," Rachel said with a sigh.

Jacob? Leah looked at her onetime friend in surprise, and waited for her to explain herself.

"Have you heard from him at all? You know…When you are a wolf,"

It was Leah's turn to sigh. "I don't phase anymore, but Seth did say that he hasn't heard from him in awhile."

"Oh," Rachel said in surprise. "I just thought you guys were friends and that he might've contacted you."

Friend? Leah thought with derisive amusement. Leah and Jacob never called one another friends, not in the entire time they'd known one another. Sure they had an understanding at one point, but she was always the Beta and he was the Alpha. She didn't despise him anymore like she once did when Jake was pining over Bella in Sam's pack, but she figured they were merely indifferent to one another. Perhaps they were good acquaintances at one time, but surely they never were the normal definition of friends.

It seemed as if the baby shower was never going to end and Leah couldn't help herself from glancing down at her watch every five minutes. Everyone at the party was apparently having a fabulous time and were lingering at the tables catching up on the latest gossip despite the fact that all the shower stuff was over. Leah was unfortunately dragged into the endless droning and the constant butting into her personal life.

"So Leah," asked one of Sam's middle aged aunts. "When are you going to get married and have kids of your own?"

And suddenly Leah snapped. She was so sick of all these judgmental, nosy woman who had no right to butt into her personal business. "I'll get married and have kids of my own," Leah started calmly. "When I damn well feel like it!"

Leah didn't even pause to look at the woman's shocked face, because the same expression was pasted on every face in the room including Sam and Emily. Her mother was the only one with a different demeanor, anger and outrage. And it was only then that Leah realized that she had shouted her last comment. As if coming back to La Push wasn't bad enough, now she alienated the rest of the people who dared to associate with her. If Sam and Emily never talked to Leah again, it would be totally worth it.

It was then when Leah was driving home a few minutes later that she realized who she blew up at Sam's unfortunate aunt. The truth of the matter was that she hit a sore spot when she asked Leah when she would have kids. Leah didn't want kids now, and didn't know when if ever she would feel ready to have children. But not having that option because of her seriously messed up body hurt her more than Leah would ever confess to anyone. She desperately wanted to be normal again and though she always despised it, Leah missed having a period.

But there was no need to dwell anymore on what she couldn't change. She was still the new and improved Leah and that meant she had a plan and soon she would have a career she could be proud of. She would forget this abomination of a day because it wasn't going to affect her anymore.

AN: I must say it was a blast to write the snarky Leah in this chapter. The next chapter will be up either tomorrow or the following day. Thanks to all my faithful reviewers, I hope you liked this chapter. Like last time any feedback would be greatly appreciated!


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight unfortunately, though I would be willing to buy Leah and Jacob with my nonexistent funds.

**Finding Peace**

**Chapter 3**

Leah was thrilled to fall back into her normal routine the following days. It wasn't long before she graduated from her class and found a good job at a nearby nursing home. It was definitely lots of hard work being a nurse's aide, but she had a definite advantage at least when it came to strength. She did have to be very cautious, however, not to let the residents touch her skin and subsequently be shocked by her raging body temperature. But it was a decent job, and Leah was getting better at controlling her temper all the time.

"Leah!"

Leah sighed and looked up from the paperwork she was completing and had to hold back a groan. It was Pete…Again. He was another aide who was totally preoccupied with trying to get Leah to go out with him. It was almost to the point of embarrassment because this guy never seemed to take the hint that she wasn't interested in the least.

"Hey girl," he said, sounding very much like a peppy cheerleader. Leah wanted nothing more than to slug him, but he would probably like it and she would get in trouble.

"What?" she asked, not amused.

"You are looking so very tan, did you get much sun?" he asked kindly.

_Who could get a tan in Seattle?_ Leah wondered vaguely. "I'm Native American," she answered.

"Oh!" Pete exclaimed in surprise. "So are you Cherokee or something?"

_Cherokees live on the OTHER side of the country. _Leah mentally complained yet again. "I'm Quileute," she said.

"Cool," Pete replied. "So Pocahontas, wanna go out with me tomorrow.?" he asked beaming with a cheesy grin.

At this point Leah was starting to tremble, the urge to slug the guy was growing with every passing moment. She took a couple deep breaths because she wasn't about to phase, especially in the middle of the nursing home. She quickly checked off the last part of the file she'd been working on before addressing Pete.

"Not now, not ever," Leah replied briskly. And then without another look back at him she took off down the hall. When she exited the building a moment later, it was only then that she stopped the shaking that alarmed her in the first place.

Leah got in her car and started it up ready to head home, but since it was still relatively early she decided instead to grab a cup of coffee since she didn't have to work the next morning. Her favorite coffee shop was only a mile away, but since Seattle was crowded as always, she had to park a few blocks away.

It was only eight o'clock, but it was already dark, and of course it was raining. Leah usually didn't mind the rain that much since it was inevitable when you lived in Washington, and especially when you grew up on the Olympic peninsula. It was just a fact of life that sometimes annoyed her, but mostly she was indifferent to.

Because of the rain there were very few people walking on the streets and those that were hurried to their cars as fast as humanly possible. She was only a block away from the coffee shop when she was suddenly grabbed.

Leah couldn't see the man as she was quickly thrown down into the darkness of an alleyway, but she was already on her guard. She had never been mugged before and if this guy thought that she was just going to take it lying down then he had another thing coming. For a brief second she was grateful she was a werewolf because this guy wasn't going to know what hit him.

"You bastard!" Leah screamed at the guy, standing up and putting her fists up.

The guy laughed, still standing in the darkness so that Leah couldn't see his face. "Like you can fight me," he scolded in a soft and sinister voice. "I think I'm going to enjoy this."

And with a few short steps, the guy had rushed forward to stand in front of Leah, effectively blocking her exit. She couldn't help but start to think of any and all defensive moves she could make and the majority of them started with her hitting him where the sun don't shine. And then she smelled it. The smell was one she hadn't smelled in years, but she could never forget it.

_Vampire_, he was a vampire, and for the first time in a very long time, Leah was scared. Sure at one time she was fearless when it came to killing vampires, but then she also had a pack of werewolves to back her up. This time Leah was very much alone, and he wasn't a newborn she could tell that much from how he didn't simply rush at her in a blood crazed run.

He appraised her with his crimson red eyes and he smirked as soon as he sensed the fear in Leah. His alabaster skin looked eerie in the near darkness and his dark hair only added to his sallow appearance. The vampire took another step forward as Leah simultaneously took another one backwards. It was at this time that he breathed in deeply, his nose wrinkling slightly.

"I must say, you will be the smelliest one I've ever had," he commented.

"At least I can cause you some discomfort," Leah muttered sarcastically. She was afraid of the vampire, but for Leah fear always turned into anger. She started to shake. "You don't smell like a bed of roses either, vampire."

He started, apparently surprised that she knew his secret. "You are just full of surprises."

"And you haven't even seen the best one yet," Leah said smiling, a plan finally forming in her head.

"What might that be?" he asked amused.

Leah smiled at him again, and before the vampire knew what hit him she phased. It took only a couple of seconds but phasing itself after abandoning it for so long felt weird. As strange as it was, she felt at home when she finally morphed into her wolf form. But before Leah landed on her front paws she lunged at the vampire knocking him down flat on his back.

_Is anyone out there? _Leah thought, hoping for the first time ever that one of the guys would be able to read her mind. Of course nobody responded. Figures.

She wanted nothing more than to rip the leech to shreds, but Leah knew that killing an experienced vampire on her own was likely to be very dangerous. So Leah did the next best thing…She ran and for some reason he didn't chase after her.

This time Leah was grateful for the lack of people on the city streets since seeing a giant werewolf tear down the city streets was bound to be alarming. As soon as Leah reached her apartment complex, she cursed when she realized that her purse and the remnants of her clothing were left in the alley with the vampire.

Leah phased back to human and sincerely wished there weren't security cameras, especially when she scaled the wall in the buff getting to her second story balcony. It only took a couple minutes before she reached her balcony door which she fortunately had left unlocked. Leah didn't spare a moment to dwell on what had just occurred because in fact she was still very scared.

After putting on fresh clothes and packing a back, Leah finally remembered that her car was still parked close to where the vampire ambushed her. Well she certainly wasn't going to get it now, especially not by herself. Leah realized she needed back up and she picked up the phone and dialed.

"Seth? I know its late, but I need you to come here and bring the guys," she said.

"What?" Seth replied shocked. "It's a school night."

"Fine then, I'll just let the leech eat me next time," she muttered.

"Leech?" Seth queried. "Vampire! You were attacked by a vampire!?!"

"Now you get it," Leah replied sarcastically.

"We're on our way."

* * *

**Jacob's POV**

The russet colored wolf also once known as Jacob Black was doing his favorite thing, running. It was one of the very few activities that let him forget everything; who he was, what he lost, and how it still continued to affect his life. Running numbed his pain, not the least of which because he had to pay close attention to where he was going lest he run headfirst into a tree. As a result Jacob found he ran as much as he possibly could, and subsequently the pain was numbed.

Losing the girl he loved was brutal and it had taken him a long time to stop being so angry at Edward Cullen and his mutant spawn. He was to the point now where his anger was dulled so much that if he were to see the vampire today, he would try to tear him to pieces. And part of that was because he knew that Edward too lost the love of his life, and that the leech had to be suffering as much as he was. At least Jacob wasn't permanently immortal, eventually he would die and his sorrow would go with him unlike the immortal vampire.

Jacob wasn't sure exactly how long he'd been away from home, but it had to be somewhere around two years since he'd faced two brutal Canadian winters. He knew that his family missed him, and that Seth, Embry and Quil always tried talking to him when they phased. It was rough being away, but at the same time he did have his pack mates thoughts to listen to when he wanted to know what was happening in La Push. But Jacob had to be careful because if he pushed too much they would think that he wanted to talk at last.

One strong advantage of being in his wolf form all the time was that he was able to learn a great deal about how to keep things from the others. Jacob could effectively block them from seeing anything he didn't want them to. He didn't know if it was something that he could do just because he was the rightful Alpha, or if it was just something any wolf could do with enough endurance. Either way it was a skill he was grateful to have acquired.

Suddenly Jacob stopped running abruptly and his hackles rose and he growled. Something was wrong, something was deathly wrong. He looked at the nearby landscape in dismay trying to sense what could be the danger at present. This is when Jake realized that the thoughts that had alarmed him were not his own. It was then that Leah's thoughts became present to him. He saw the scene in her head, the vampire that chased her and her subsequent escape. She was very lucky to make it away alive.

_Stinking bloodsucker! _Jacob thought angrily as soon as Leah phased out. He was furious, and ready to pounce on the vampire now despite the fact that he was hundreds of miles from where she was. It was so strange for him because he hadn't been this angry in a long time; in fact he hadn't been upset since Bella's passing. The rage pouring through him didn't evaporate either, he wanted revenge on the vampire who dared attack his Beta.

Once the anger dissipated a little, he felt for the first time since he left the desire to return to La Push. Jacob wondered if his returning would bring back his grief, but perhaps if he was ever going to heal properly he needed to go back. It would be difficult to be back amongst his family and friends again after such a long time, but Jacob also didn't plan on spending the rest of his life as a wolf.

So with a quick shake of his rugged coat, Jacob turned south for the first time in two years. He was finally returning home though by no means was he expecting it to be easy in the least.

AN: Poor Leah just doesn't get a break, but at least Jacob is coming back! Thanks again to all my faithful reviewers, I hope you enjoyed this. Like always any feedback would be greatly appreciated!


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight unfortunately, though I would be willing to buy Leah and Jacob with my nonexistent funds.

**Finding Peace**

**Chapter 4**

"You seriously have the worst luck Leah," Seth declared when he entered her apartment a few hours after Leah's return. He was followed by the remaining two stooges Embry and Quil.

"Thanks for reminding me," Leah retorted while rolling her eyes. "You better not have told Mom."

"Do you think I'm stupid?" Seth asked indignantly. Then when he saw that Leah was about to speak, he held up a hand. "Don't answer that."

"Whatever," Leah replied before glancing at the two other guys. "You're welcome to anything in my fridge; I'm not coming back for awhile."

All three oversized boys made a mad dash for the kitchen.

"There's no food in here!" Quil protested loudly walking back into the living room a few seconds later.

Leah couldn't help but laugh at him. "Someone sounds like they are missing their bedtime. Oh wait…That's your girlfriend."

Quil was about to retort but then Seth and Embry walked back into the room distracting him.

"Seriously Leah, we are starving," Seth whined.

"Relax you big babies," Leah scolding. "I was going to the store tomorrow which is why my fridge is empty, we'll order some pizzas tonight."

That seemed to appease the guys, and Leah ordered three large pizzas. Knowing them, the guys would probably say it wasn't enough but she didn't care. Then she retreated back to room where she quickly packed a bag. It wasn't like Leah to run from anything, but that vampire unnerved her and she was taking a temporary leave of absence from work until she at least figured out what her next move would be. Ironically enough she had no choice but to retreat to the one place she didn't want to be but was her one safe haven, La Push.

The attack by the vampire was totally random, and she was his next chosen meal. But Leah had this sinking suspicion that now that the vampire knew what she was, he would be coming after her. In fact Leah was extremely surprised that he hadn't done so already when she was racing back to her apartment. Perhaps she was overreacting, but her gut feelings told her to leave. And it was very seldom that she didn't listen to it.

* * *

**Danton the vampire's POV**

As darkness shrouded the city of Seattle, the vampire known as Danton was ready for the night to begin. It was very fortunate for him to be living in a place where there was cloud cover most of the time, but this particular vampire was from the south. And he felt only right feeding at night. Danton didn't feast the night before, so he was eager tonight, and he could feel the bloodlust consume him. Now he only to wait for the perfect victim.

The first several humans were all walking together in groups and since he wouldn't risk hunting down more than one human at a time, it was a long wait. Just when Danton was beginning to grow very agitated, suddenly he saw her. She was a tall, tanned, and well muscled woman and looked like she was totally oblivious to what was about to occur. He knew this would be fun, and quick as lightning he made his move.

Danton wasn't disappointed; she was definitely a feisty one. She immediately put her fists up and the vampire couldn't help but laugh at her rudimentary weapons and he said as much. He blocked off her exits, and then breathed in deeply trying to determine how tasty her blood would be. Danton was soon disappointed because she was the smelliest human he'd ever met.

At this point the vampire quickly considered his options. He could only hope that she tasted better than she smelled, because if not it would easily be the worst meal he'd ever had. But he was thirsty and he didn't feel like seeking another meal tonight. So he decided to taunt her before going in for the kill, but then his plans were thrown askew by her next words.

"_You don't smell like a bed of roses either, vampire."_

It took all of Danton's willpower not to strike her down that second, because after all it was forbidden for humans to know about the real existence of vampires. But at the same time he was intrigued and wanted to know exactly how she knew what he was.

Unfortunately Danton was in for a very rude awakening…When she turned into a wolf. For one of the very first times since he became immortal, he was surprised by something. Dumbstruck, he was barely aware when she not only transformed into a grey wolf right before his very eyes, but then she pounced on him, knocking him down, before tearing away as fast as she could.

As soon as she left, he got to his feet immediately as a million thoughts buzzed through his head. His immediate thought was that she must be a werewolf but that was cancelled out by the fact that firstly werewolves were all but extinct, secondly that werewolves couldn't transform at the drop of a hat, and thirdly that there wasn't a full moon.

Danton figured that she had to be a shape-shifter of some kind though there weren't any documented ones. Mentions of them were only legends and myths, but as he was living (or un-living) proof of a mythological being, he didn't discount them.

"Hey! What are you doing on my turf?"called out a gruff voice, distracting Danton from his ponderings.

Danton looked up to see another vampire approaching him. The other was tall, and built like a bodybuilder, but with a decidedly unkempt air in his clothing and hairstyle. And by the look of his eyes, he was definitely a newborn.

"What are you talking about?" Danton asked, with a condescending air. "I wasn't aware that this alley way belonged to anyone."

"Well it does!" The other vampire declared.

"Too bad," Danton muttered. The newborn wasn't worth his time; he could take him out easily. But then something else occurred to him, and Danton grinned and stared at the unwitting vampire.

It was a dramatic turn of events as the tough newborn suddenly fell to the ground whimpering and trembling in fear and pulling his oversized knees to his chin.

Danton approached him, and smirked. "Do you feel that?"

The newborn just whimpered and Danton was sure that if he could cry, he would.

"That's fear," Danton explained. "You feel it crawling up your spine, choking you, and making you feel as if you will never move from that spot for the rest of your existence. Do you know why?"

The newborn dared to look up for a brief second, and he shook his head.

"Because you know that I can easily kill you, and your already pathetic life and afterlife will be over. No more second chances," Danton said cheerfully.

The shaking newborn dared to look up, torment etched on his face. "Please don't kill me."

Danton sighed. "I delight in killing scum such as you. However, if you work for me, I will spare your life."

"Yes," the newborn cried out. "I will do whatever you want."

Danton smiled. "Good. Now I want you to find a computer and research all you can about shape shifters in myth and legends and bring me all your findings. I'm especially interested in anything you can find concerning legends about shape-shifting wolves. And don't you dare give me any drivel about werewolves or I swear I'll make you pay."

The newborn simpered in fear. _Excellent._

Danton continued. "And lastly don't you dare lose track of what you're doing and attack a human in a place where you can get caught. Because if you do something stupid, I will not protect you if the Volturi track you down."

"I promise," the newborn said in a groveling tone.

"Now get to it, and meet me here when you have it," Danton said handing the newborn a sheet of paper with an address written on it. "And make sure you aren't followed."

"I will," the newborn declared eagerly.

"Then get out of here," Danton remarked angrily. The newborn took off as fast as his feet allowed him, and that left the older vampire smiling again. It was so easy to train a newborn, especially when one had a gift such as his own. The power to cause extreme fear in others made it so he always won fights, and was easily able to escape sticky situations.

Danton was beyond frustrated about one thing, and that was that he never used the full extent of his power on that wolf girl earlier. He never expected her to transform into a wolf right in front of him so he never hit her with the same amount of fear that he just used on the newborn. She would still be feeling it for a time, since the terror he administered wore off very slowly. That at least game him a semblance of amusement.

The vampire then noticed something out of the corner of his eye that had evaded his perception before. He noticed the pile of torn clothing that she left in her wake and he picked up the smelly garments and looked through then. Besides the ripped articles of clothing, he found her purse. Excited, he dug for her wallet hoping that this would give him a lead in the right direction. Figuring out her hometown for one could be vital to discovering why she had the ability to turn into a wolf.

In the wallet there were a couple of credit cards, a few photographs, and her driver's license. He looked at it with growing annoyance, it listed her home as being in Seattle. But he did have one valuable lead that would make things considerably easier. Her name was Leah Clearwater. Then when Danton looked through the rest of the contents of her purse he found a set of car keys.

Danton assumed that her car wouldn't be far away, and he was proved right when he found it only a few blocks away. Looking through her car, he didn't find any other pieces of information. So he formulated a plan. First he needed to satisfy his thirst, and then Danton would be back. And nobody does a stakeout better than a vampire.

AN: And there you have it, the 4th chapter. In the next one Leah returns to La Push and our vampire makes his next move. I hope everyone liked this chapter and I'll try not to keep you waiting too long for the next one. Thanks again to all my faithful reviewers, all feedback is greatly appreciated!


	6. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight unfortunately, though I would be willing to buy Leah and Jacob with my nonexistent funds.

**Finding Peace**

**Chapter 5**

As it turned out, Leah and the rest didn't head back to La Push until the next day. Because of the fact that Leah was not about to abandon her car in Seattle for who knows how long, she decided not to leave until the morning. Seth, Embry and Quil were all going to play hooky from school, though was worried more about the fact that he took Sue's car. Leah had to hand it to her little brother, this was likely one of the very first times in recent memory that he willingly did something that would get him in trouble. Though knowing Seth, there was always a good chance that he would ground himself upon his return.

It was really funny though because Leah still felt some trepidation about going outside where a vampire lurked, but she also knew that she was being silly. Yes there was a vampire out there, but she was also a werewolf with a whole pack of werewolves at her side. And together they could easily bring the bloodsucker down. So really there was nothing to be afraid of, even if the vampire decided to track her down.

Leah really wasn't sure how long she was going to stay down in La Push, so her first course of action was to call her work to go on a leave of absence. Secondly she made sure that all her necessities were packed, and that went for Tiger too. The cat was never overjoyed by car rides and it was fortunate that Leah owned a cat carrier otherwise everyone would suffer. They guys quickly moved all her stuff into Sue's car and that left them with their final task, getting her car.

Leah quickly directed them to the spot, and was happy to see that at least it was partly cloudy today instead of the usual grey. That should hopefully keep the vampire in his place if he indeed was around still. When they arrived at the parking lot, Leah was relieved to see that nothing happened to her vehicle overnight. But as soon as she stepped out of the other car, she recognized two problems immediately.

The first was that she didn't have her keys. Troubling enough as that was it was nothing when compared to the second reason for her alarm. Wafting over the breeze she could easily smell the sickly sweet smell of the vampire who attacked her the night before.

"He was here…Or still is," Leah said to the boys calmly, not betraying her fear. All three were immediately on high alert and were watching from all directions.

"Let's get out of here," Seth said nervously.

"Yeah, that would be great," Leah muttered. "I sure hope someone knows how to hotwire a car."

Embry grinned. "Jake taught me." He reached for the door. "Its locked."

"I have no keys, hence the reason you need to hotwire it, idiot," Leah snapped, growing more edgy by the second.

"No worries," Quil spoke up. "I can get the door open, I just need one of those wire hangers in the trunk."

Leah eyed his curiously. "What exactly are you going to do?"

"Open the door of course," Quil said with a grin.

"And where did you learn this trick?" Leah questioned.

"Oh you know," Quil started. "Just around."

"Where Quil?!" Leah demanded.

Quil blushed slightly and muttered quietly when he spoke. "On You Tube."

Leah glared at him angrily. "No way, you're going to hurt my car!"

"I won't, I promise," Quil pleaded.

Leah sighed. "Fine."

Quil quickly went to the other car and got out a wire hanger before folding it in the proper shape. When he was ready he looked up at Leah.

"Do it," Leah said with a sigh. "But if you so much as scratch my car, you are SO going to pay."

As it turned out Leah had nothing to worry about. Quil opened the car without a hitch and Embry had no difficulty in hotwiring her car. Before she knew it Leah was driving down to La Push with just Tiger as company, with the guys following behind her. It wasn't long though before Leah starting running in her mind all the dramatic events of the previous evening that brought her to this point.

By no means was Leah happy about going to live in La Push again, because even after all this time being there still caused her too much grief that she didn't want to deal with it. But the mysterious vampire just put her on edge so much that she didn't feel safe remaining in Seattle at all. Only back in La Push in close proximity to other werewolves would she feel truly safe. If she had remained and vampire came after her then it would definitely be too late for help to arrive.

Leah couldn't help but also dwelling on the fact that she phased again. She was so determined not to be a werewolf anymore and in the end she was still one in the end. On one hand she was incredibly grateful that her ability, but on the other she was never successfully able to rid herself of the wolf inside her always ready to burst out at the slightest provocation.

It was going to be rough at first because Leah knew that people would be asking questions and gossiping about why she decided to return, not least of these her very own mother. She just hoped it would be a long while before she caught up with Sam and Emily because she hadn't seen them since the disastrous baby shower and she had no desire to in the near future. At least when she returned Leah knew that she would have patrolling to distract her since if she was a wolf again she certainly intended on keeping up with the others especially if there was a vampire after her. The fortunate thing was that Sam and the rest of his pack stopped phasing permanently which meant Leah had even more excuse to steer clear of them.

* * *

**Danton's POV**

Danton was quite irritated that she didn't come to fetch her car that evening but as morning rose he didn't leave from his position at all. If she were to come down today, his plan was to try and catch her if he could, and if she didn't return at all then he would hunt her out through other means. He had her driver's license so he could easily track her that way, but he was going to see what her next move would be.

As it turned out he didn't have to wait that long because she arrived early in the morning but was accompanied by three burly looking young men. The fact that they all had the same complexion that she did meant obviously that they came from the same tribe that she did. And if Danton had to make an educated guess he would say that these men were werewolves as well. The vampire had to admire her style she definitely was smart and wasn't taking any chances.

He watched from his hideout as they broke in and hotwired her car and Danton also noticed that the other car's trunk was packed to the brim with boxes and suitcases. The fact that she was running made him want to laugh because no matter how hard she tried, nothing would stop him from something he wanted. And right now he wanted nothing more than to study her, learn why she was a shape-shifter and then of course exploit her gift in a way that would please him. Her and her little boy protectors wouldn't know what hit them.

But then Danton recognized a new dilemma, though really it was something that really didn't worry him that much. It was obvious that she was running and he still had to figure out where she was escaping to. But then as the two vehicles pulled away something on the second car that had escaped his notice before shone like a beacon to his keen sight. It was a bumper sticker…_My Son is a honor student at Quileute Tribal School._

Danton smiled, this was going to be easier then he thought.

* * *

AN: Hello everyone! I decided to post this early because I'm going to be out of town all day today and since that will mess with my schedule there might not be an update for a couple days. I sincerely hope you liked this chapter, in the next one Leah (and Jacob) arrive in La Push and Danton moves forward with his devious scheme. Btw the Quileute Tribal School is real, I'm such a nerd that I just HAD to look up the school that the wolf pack would've attended. Anyways, I hoped you like this and like always I'm always grateful for any kind of feedback!


	7. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight unfortunately, though I would be willing to buy Leah and Jacob with my nonexistent funds.

**Finding Peace**

**Chapter 6**

"Seth Clearwater! You're grounded! How dare you take my car! If I had to work today, you could've gotten me in trouble!"

This is what Leah first heard when she finally entered the house upon their arrival. Seth had run in to the house before Leah even had the chance to get out, and apparently he was paying the price already. Embry and Quil, however, escaped the first chance they had and were nowhere to be found. It was quite obvious that they feared the wrath of Sue Clearwater, and it was definitely something Leah would tease them about later. But poor Seth was stuck and was getting an earful from Mom.

As much as Leah loved to see Seth squirm since after all it was very rare for him to get in trouble, she needed to bail him out this time. After all her only got into trouble because he helped her make her great escape. So Leah took a deep breath and strode forward into her childhood home.

Sue didn't even notice Leah walk in the door; she was so busy yelling at Seth. And her brother was desperate to try and explain, but Sue wouldn't let him get a word in edge wise.

"And how dare you skip school! This is your senior year and every day counts!"

"Mom!" Leah said loudly. And it worked because she started and turned to look at Leah with an incredulous look.

"Don't blame Seth, it was my fault. I asked him to come down to help me pack up last night, and before you saw another word Mom remember that I'm an adult and way too old for grounding."

Leah watched with great amusement as her mother's furious expression turned to one of shock, curiosity, and finally confusion.

"You are moving back?" Sue wondered.

"For the time being," Leah said gritting her teeth. She seriously hoped her mother wouldn't make a big deal of this, but unfortunately she didn't take the hint.

"But why?" Sue asked. "I thought you were happy in Seattle."

"Big cities are overrated," Leah lied.

"What about your job?" Sue pressed.

"I'm taking a leave of absence, until I figure things out," Leah explained, just starting to get irritated.

"So you aren't moving back in?"

Leah sighed. "I'm not sure," she admitted.

"Really?" Sue asked curiously. "Why the change of heart?"

"Seriously," Leah said growing more annoyed. She didn't give her mother enough credit, she could be awfully perceptive when she wanted to be. "I don't need to explain myself, I'm here right? That's all that matters."

"Then why did you get your brother to come in the middle of the night?" Sue questioned staring from Leah back to Seth.

"Because I didn't feel like waiting any longer!" Leah said exasperated. "Now I need to unpack and figure out what the hell my plans are, so if you'll excuse me."

And with that Leah grabbed her cat and the closest suitcase and dashed up the stairs without giving her mother another look. It was only once she threw herself annoyed on her bed that Leah realized that poor Seth was alone again to face their mother. He just didn't learn. Oh well, Leah didn't feel like bailing him out a second time.

* * *

**Danton's POV**

"What do you have for me?" Danton asked holding his hand out and glaring at the terrified newborn.

The other vampire pulled out a folder stuffed to the brim with copies from almost every single website regarding to werewolves. The thing was most of the stuff the idiotic vampire printed out was useless, and it wasn't until he reached the bottom of the stack of papers that Danton found what he wanted. There were two pages that listed very briefly the legend of the Cold Ones which could only be vampires and about how some members of the Quileute tribe could into wolves.

Danton was pleased to realize he was correct in his assumptions and that this tribe had some genetic trait that enabled them to shape shift into wolves. But unfortunately the documents didn't give much detail about exactly what abilities these wolves had, and how powerful they could be. It seemed that there was more than one wolf as evidenced by her bodyguards, but Danton wanted to know their exact numbers.

Still this was a very interesting development, and a new plan started to take shape in his mind. The more he thought it out, the more it excited him and after only a few minutes Danton turned again to the newborn.

"We are leaving tonight," Danton said coldly.

"Where?" the newborn asked, his voice coming out like a whimper.

"You'll see," Danton replied with a grin.

* * *

**Jacob's POV**

Jacob didn't know what he was going to do. Sure he planned to return to La Push, but the thing was he wasn't quite sure how he was going to break the ice. His father would be shocked beyond belief when he saw him and his friends' reactions would be even more dramatic. It was going to be chaotic and Jacob wasn't sure if he was ready to just jump in the mix of things so soon after being gone for so long.

His existence had been such a lonely these last few years with only the animals as his only company. He lived as a wolf for so long that his wild habit and instincts were going to be very hard to surrender. Being around humans again was certainly going to be such a challenge again after all this time, but at the same time Jacob knew it was time. He was strong and he would be able to put his personal demons behind him. It was only a matter of time.

Again and again Jacob couldn't stop thinking about why he had such a sudden change of heart. The fact that Leah was attacked by a vampire seemed to trigger such a strong reaction in Jacob, and he didn't quite understand it. Perhaps it was the fact that she was his beta, and his instincts to protect his fellow pack members was in effect. Or it could just be that he didn't want to see anyone hurt by one of those filthy leeches. Either way, he still felt just as determined to reach La Push as he did a few days before.

It was late the night he returned and that was in Jacob's favor because he really didn't feel up to talking to anyone tonight. Stealthily he approached his small home and he climbed up and inside his bedroom window. If he hadn't been so tired at the time he would've been touched to realize that Billy had left the room just as Jacob left it, but instead he phased back to his human form for the first time in months, threw on a pair of sweats, and collapsed on his bed. He hoped he would sleep well tonight because tomorrow was certainly going to be trying.

* * *

AN: Hello everyone! I apologize for the extreme lateness of this chapter, and I thank all of you who are still following this little story of mine. I was fully prepared to update this yesterday, but due to the fact that my internet was down this is the earliest I could get it up. And I won't keep you guys waiting long for the next chapter, and as always I'm always grateful for any feedback!


	8. Chapter 7

**Finding Peace**

**Chapter 7 **

"Leah! Wake up, Leah!"

Leah started at the sound and opened one eye sleepily to glare at the person who dared to wake her. "Haven't you heard of knocking, Seth?"

"But Leah this is important," Seth whined.

Leah sat up since it was apparent that her brother wouldn't be satisfied until he got whatever he wanted off his chest. "What?"

"Jake came back!" he said excitedly.

Leah looked at him disbelieving. "Are you serious?"

Seth nodded happily. "When Billy woke up this morning he just happened to glance in Jake's room and he was there. He just called Mom an hour ago to tell her."

"Seems like Billy doesn't know how to knock either," Leah muttered before giving Seth an annoyed look. "And why would I care if Jacob came back anyway?"

"Because he's our alpha and," Seth started, but Leah interrupted.

"And what?"

"The pack is together again at last!" Seth exclaimed.

"Big whoop," Leah replied. "Ok you told me your news, now go away Seth, before I tell the rest of the pack that you still slept with Blinky up until your sixteenth birthday."

Seth looked aghast at Leah mentioning his favorite stuffed teddy bear. But it did the trick since he left her room a moment later, leaving Leah her peace and quiet.

The only problem was that now that Seth told Leah his big news, she couldn't fall back asleep. She had to admit that it was pretty strange for Jake to just show up out of the blue when nobody was expecting it. Leah wondered vaguely how he was and if he was still pining over that leech lover who died, but knowing Jacob he probably was. He was such a stubborn guy who never knew how to let go, though Leah had to admit that she too had problems letting things go.

Before Leah had a chance to ponder it anymore, however, her mother barged in.

"Now I see where Seth gets it," Leah muttered before looking up at her mother. "What?"

"Get dressed, we are going over to the Blacks," Sue said.

"Really?" Leah asked curiously. "I was under the impression that I'm an adult and can make my own damn decisions."

"Leah, don't start with me. You are living under my roof right now, so do as I say," Sue declared.

"Well that's going to be the first thing to change," Leah muttered, wondering if there was any places to rent in La Push.

"Please, honey, Billy needs all the moral support he can get right now," Sue explained.

"Since when am I ever called upon for 'moral support'?" Leah pondered.

"You're impossible," Sue said with a sigh stepping outside the door. "Ten minutes."

Leah wondered vaguely how mad her mother would be if she didn't get up at all, but she really didn't feel like getting into it with her mother again. So she took a quick shower and threw on a tank top and shorts since she planned on phasing and getting away as soon as possible. At this she decided to stay wolf for the time being but she had every intention to stop phasing again as soon as this vampire issue was taken care of.

Leah headed down the stairs where Seth was waiting anxiously to go. It seemed that the hero worship he once had for Jacob Black was a permanent thing, but it was kind of cute Leah had to admit.

"You're coming?" Seth asked when he saw Leah.

"Blame Mom," Leah muttered.

Seth merely rolled his eyes and chuckled.

* * *

A few minutes later they pulled up to the Blacks small red house. Leah looked at it with disinterest, but faithfully followed her mother and Seth up to the door. Sue knocked once.

"Come in," came the sound of Billy's voice through the door.

Sue opened it and all three Clearwaters squeezed into the tiny house's living room. Of course it was already crowded since Embry and Quil were already squeezed on a tiny sofa, Jacob was on the lone recliner and Billy was wheeled next to him.

"Jake!" Seth exclaimed. "Long time no see, man."

Jacob glanced at Seth and nodded once, and Leah thought that he looked decidedly uncomfortable. Leah met Jake's gaze for only a second before his attention was focused on the carpeted floor in front of him.

"Jacob, please," Billy pleaded, looking at his son.

"I'm just here to say hello, I'm not making any promises," Jake said quietly.

"But Jacob," Billy replied. "The tribe needs you."

"The tribe has survived without me for all this time," Jake replied.

"We miss having you run with us," Quil added.

"Yeah," Embry added. "And anyway there might be a bloodsucker after Leah, so we need you."

Leah started, and immediately gave Embry a death glare. How dare he say that and in front of her mother even! She was going to make him pay, that was for sure. Leah noticed with severe irritation that Billy and Sue were both looking at her with shock on their faces and she felt like slugging Embry for doing this to her. She glanced quickly at Jacob, but his expression was unreadable.

"Leah!" Sue exclaimed. "So that is why you left, because of a vampire."

"It obviously didn't hurt me so there is no reason to freak out," Leah muttered angrily focusing her glare on Embry again. He looked away, uncomfortable.

"But it obviously scared you enough to return home."

Leah sighed in frustration, knowing that her mother finally trapped her. But one thing wasn't for sure and that was that she had no intention of playing a damsel in distress any longer. She had a pack of werewolves at her side now, and so her mother's fears were totally unfounded.

"I'm here now, aren't I?" Leah replied. "There is nothing to worry about."

"But Embry said it is after you," Sue pointed out.

"It is a well documented fact," Leah started. "That Embry is an idiot."

Embry opened his mouth to protest, but one scathing look from Leah and he closed his mouth again.

"It was a totally random attack," Leah said. "I'm sure the vampire has gone for someone else by now."

Sue shuddered. "All the same, I think you should be more careful."

Leah scoffed in annoyance. "Like I said before, I'm an adult."

"It was merely a request Leah," Sue said placating.

It was Billy who spoke again, but to Jacob once more. "Your own Beta was attacked by a vampire and you still don't want to rejoin the pack?"

Jacob sighed. "There are three other wolves besides Leah," he said defensively.

"But you are the Alpha!" Billy exclaimed. "Sam doesn't phase anymore, you are the pack's only hope. You must take charge; you were born to do it."

"I knew this would happen!" Jacob shouted back, for the first time getting angry at his father. "I just got home and you are already reminding me about tribal responsibilities!"

"I wouldn't if you took them seriously," Billy amended.

"I've had enough," Jacob declared, stood and strode out of the house.

"He never learns," Billy said softly, sadly.

And then suddenly Leah was the center of attention again, to Leah's extreme displeasure. Sue was momentarily distracted by Jacob and Billy's argument, but she again rounded on her daughter.

"I really wish you would've told me about the vampire."

Leah sighed. "I really wish Embry would keep his big fat mouth shut."

"Don't blame him for your lies, Leah," Sue declared.

"I didn't want you to worry," Leah admitted.

"I'm tougher than you think Leah, I will not be patronized by my own daughter!" Sue exclaimed getting angry again.

"You know what," Leah said. "I'm totally sick of this conversation."

And Leah took a page out of Jacob's book and walked out.

* * *

AN: Thanks again to all my loyal readers, and I'm so grateful for all the response I've been getting on this little story of mine. For all you Blackwater fans, you will be very pleased to know that in the next chapter Jacob and Leah talk. So if you have a few minutes please let me know what you thought of this chapter, and I will try to get the next one out as soon as I can.


	9. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight unfortunately, though I would be willing to buy Leah and Jacob with my nonexistent funds.

**Finding Peace**

**Chapter 8**

Leah couldn't help the anger and frustration she felt as she walked the short distance from the Black's home to First Beach. She couldn't help but be amused by thinking of ways to slowly torture and kill Embry. It had been Leah's grand plan to not let anybody know why she moved back to La Push, but of course her wishes were dashed. Now that Billy and Sue knew, all the people in La Push (who were in the know) were going to be talking about this for days.

As she reached the beach, Leah found herself pleased to watch the angry waves beat the sandy beach the way she felt like beating Embry right now. The clouds in the sky also promised a thunderstorm, which pleased Leah as it matched her mood. She walked along the beach lost in her thoughts, but then she noticed Jacob was standing not very far from where she was.

It was strange to see Jacob again, Leah had to admit. The last time she saw him he was a angry teenage boy who's fanciful obsessions for his leech-loving girl made him go off the deep end. When he spoke earlier Leah couldn't help but notice that the teenage husky voice he had, was now the deeper tone of an adult. He certainly didn't look like a boy anymore and that was something that was really hard for Leah to wrap her head around.

As he stood there facing the ocean bare-chested, Leah couldn't help but notice the bulging muscles of his arms and chest that stood proudly on display for all to see. Being a werewolf certainly had its advantages, especially for the men. To think that this was the same boy-no-man who once made mud pies with Seth, was now the gorgeous man standing in front of her was certainly a pleasant surprise.

And it was then that Leah suddenly came to her senses and felt disgusted by the thoughts she'd been having about Jacob Black of all people. She really didn't even like the guy and they certainly weren't on the best of terms even when they were Alpha and Beta. Leah decided right then and there to stop thinking about Jacob like that because number one it was wrong on so many levels and two that the pack would torture her mercilessly if they caught her thinking that.

Unfortunately, however, when Leah was fully debating with herself on what her next course of action would be, Jacob turned and looked at her.

"I thought you ran away again," Leah said calmly.

Jacob was quiet for a minute staring at the waves, but then he turned and met her eyes with his. "I'm sick of running away."

"So you're back for good?" Leah asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"I think so," Jake said sadly before changing the subject. "So what have you been up to?"

"You mean besides having my ass handed to me by a vampire?" Leah queried.

"Yeah," Jake said with a slight grin on his face. "Besides that."

"I've been trying to play house as a human," Leah said with a sigh. "Of course it didn't work."

"Totally the opposite of me then," Jake replied.

"I guess," Leah replied. "My brother missed you like crazy. I think he has a crush."

"I know," Jacob replied jokingly. "Its kinda disturbing."

"You have no idea," Leah said, but then got serious again. "So are you really not rejoining the pack?"

"I would've thought that you of all people would understand," Jacob said frustrated.

"Chill," Leah replied. "I don't mean it like that; it just seems weird for you to come all the way back to not be part of the pack."

"I will help if I can," Jake said. "But I don't want to be in the pack anymore. I work alone these days."

"Whatever," Leah said rolling her eyes. "Your fanboys are going to be so disappointed."

"What about you?" Jacob asked. "Why are you still part of the pack? I thought you were going to stop."

"I did stop," Leah muttered. "But apparently my body still thinks I'm a wolf. But the pack is a million times better these days. No bossy Sam, uptight Jared or annoying Paul to piss me off so I'm good, though right now I feel like slugging Embry."

Jacob chuckled then and it sounded strange to Leah, but then she realized that it was probably the first time he'd laughed in years.

"Yeah, he gets that a lot," Jake said before turning somber again. "I just don't think I can handle being part of the pack anymore."

"I think you can handle more than you give yourself credit for," Leah replied. "But what do I know, I'm not you."

Jacob let out a sigh of increasing irritation. "Why are you doing this, Leah?"

At this Leah had no response for a few agonizing seconds because she really didn't know why she was pestering Jacob so much to rejoin the pack. Maybe it was that she felt nostalgic like Seth and really did want the pack together like one happy family, but that definitely wasn't it. Or perhaps she felt safer with Jacob back as an Alpha. But she certainly wasn't going to tell him that, so she went for the more Leah-like response.

"Maybe because I like to see you suffer. And if I have to be part of the Lost Boys Club, then you sure as hell belong there as the ringleader of the crazy group."

Jacob rolled his eyes. "Really Leah, I'm touched."

"Don't let it go to your head," Leah retorted.

"Oh of course not," Jacob replied with a grin.

"So what should I tell the man-boys?" Leah asked.

Jacob stalled for a moment and Leah thought that for a moment she could see his brain processing all of his options. In fact it was kind of interesting to watch, and for a split second Leah thought that the way Jake furrowed his brow when he was thinking was actually kind of cute before she berated herself for thinking it.

But finally he came to a conclusion, and he looked up at her again. "I don't want to…," he started.

Leah waited patiently for him to continue.

"But I think I'll come back, at least temporarily," Jake continued. "In any case it would get my Dad off my back."

"Great," Leah said unconvincingly, but then she grinned. "In that case Oh High Alpha, can I kill Embry?"

And this time Jacob did more than chuckle, he nearly bent over he was laughing so much. But finally he controlled himself and looked up at Leah grinning. "Sure, sure."

* * *

AN: I know this isn't the longest chapter, but I hope the Blackwater moment will make up for it. The romance IS coming though I just can't see them jumping into a relationship really quickly. I was so amazed by all the wonderful response I've gotten and decided not to make you wait any longer for this chapter. I will try to get the next one up tomorrow and as always I'm always thankful for any feedback you give me.


	10. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight unfortunately, though I would be willing to buy Leah and Jacob with my nonexistent funds.

**Finding Peace**

**Chapter 9**

When Leah left the beach a short while later, she was finally feeling like the confidant, fearless Leah that she once was. After all if Jacob could come back and rejoin the pack after the emotional blow he'd suffered, then surely she could cope again. The fear that paralyzed Leah from the moment she first met that vampire a few nights ago was finally dissipated and while she didn't feel confidant returning to her apartment alone, she certainly felt safe enough being in La Push.

Which brought up a few very important tasks that Leah needed to accomplish in the next few days. Even though she still wasn't very thrilled by the prospect of being stuck on the reservation again, she wasn't about to return to Seattle for good. So Leah decided that if she was going to be stuck in La Push then she was going to find a place of her own and a steady job. Fortunately the hospital in Forks was short staffed and so Leah was pretty confident that she would find work easily enough.

The next thing she needed to do was to return to Seattle (with the pack of course) and load up the remainder of her belongings, take care of the paperwork with her landlord, and of course quit her job. While she was in town Leah also needed to get a new driver's license to replace her lost one, and she would also need to fill out a change of address form at the post office. Leah was hoping that all that could be accomplished the following day, but she still had to talk to the guys about it.

But before any of that could be done, Leah had to apologize to her mother, and it wasn't going to be easy. Growing up in the Clearwater household there was a certain order to things. Harry and Seth were always the calm before the storm, while Sue and Leah were the actual storm. Because of the fact that Leah and her mother were both equally stubborn, strong women, they clashed on more than one occasion over the years. So whenever they fought, it was usually of epic proportions, and nowadays it was all that Seth could do to steer clear whenever an argument was brewing.

Leah really did love her mother dearly, but she didn't like it when her mother treated her like a child or when she expected things that were impossible. Sue was always so gung ho about protecting the tribe and it frustrated her to no end that her daughter who was a werewolf despite all odds just wasn't interested. Leah was well aware of this, but it didn't change her decision in the least.

When Leah arrived home not long after and saw her mother's car parked in the drive way, she braced herself and walked in. Sue who had been washing the dishes at the kitchen sink stopped what she was doing and looked at her.

Leah met her gaze steadily for a moment before speaking. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about the vampire."

Sue's face broke out into a small grin, though worry was still etched on her face. "I'm sorry I overreacted, Leah. I'm just very concerned for you."

"I know," Leah replied gritting her teeth. "But I'm going to be fine."

"How do you know it won't happen again?" Sue asked harshly.

"Because," Leah started. "I'm moving back to La Push."

Sue started for a second in obvious shock before she smiled widely, and rushed forward to pull Leah into a hug. When she pulled away, Sue spoke. "You have no idea how happy I am to hear that."

"I should also let you know Mom that I'm finding my own place," Leah explained.

"Really?" Sue questioned and Leah only nodded.

"Then I have a place for you to live. Seth too, if you don't mind," Sue said.

"What are you talking about?"

"Well," Sue replied and then she blushed, something Leah's Mom never did. In fact it was confusing the hell out of her out until she heard her mother speak again. "Charlie and I are getting married."

Leah was flabbergasted for all of ten seconds. "Wow," she said quietly.

"We are actually getting married next month since neither of us really care for big weddings," Sue explained. "And since I will be moving in with him, you are welcome to have this house. Charlie's home is small and we don't really need much space, and I will also be closer to the hospital."

"And why would I need all that space?" Leah questioned.

"You never know," Sue replied.

"But I really don't want to share a place with Seth," Leah answered honestly.

"Must you always be so difficult?" Sue asked, getting aggravated. But then when Leah opened her mouth to respond, Sue held up a hand. "Don't answer that."

Leah was torn. On one hand she wanted to accept just for the fact that she would have her own home and it was free no less, but on the other she really didn't care to share it with Seth. But her logic finally won out in the end.

"Fine," Leah replied sulkily. "I'll take the house."

* * *

When Leah was done talking over things with her mother, she was really anxious to go for a run. During the time when she stopped phasing, running as a wolf was something she missed dearly. None of her hulking packmates could ever beat her when it came to speed and once that was something Leah took great pride in. When she lived in the city running simply wasn't the same because running on two legs couldn't even begin to compare to the rush she felt in her wolf form. Leah realized that this was in fact the biggest thing she missed about being a wolf.

Leah quickly darted into the woods behind her home and check for peeping toms briefly before she stripped quickly, attacked her clothes to a cord on her leg and phased all within seconds. And as soon as she came down on her heavy wolf paws, she instantly heard the guys.

_I just don't understand why Jacob won't come back._ Quil was saying mournfully.

_Me either._ Seth agreed.

_Maybe if we talk to him again…_ Embry started to say, but was interrupted by Leah.

_I'm sure Jacob doesn't want to be nagged at by three overgrown werewolves. And besides, I just talked to him._

_Oh no, _Quil muttered. _She's going to make him run away again._

Leah rolled her eyes as she ran towards where the three other wolves were meeting. _You guys have such little faith in me._ And then she showed them the part of her conversation where she convinced Jacob to return to the pack. Unfortunately Embry caught something else and he snorted in laughter.

_You think Jacob's eyebrows are cute?! His EYEBROWS!?!_

Leah winced inwardly, frustrated that she wasn't able to stop him from seeing that. Typical Embry always said the wrong things, and this was just one more addition to her ultimate revenge against him.

Seth saw what Leah was thinking and then addressed Embry. _You must really have a death wish._

Embry scoffed. _I'm not afraid of your sister._

_You should be. _Seth muttered, remembering all the cruel forms of revenge that Leah put him through over the years.

_And what exactly is cute about Jake's eyebrows? _Quil addressed Leah.

_And what is so sexy about playing Barbies with Claire? _Leah taunted. And like always Quil was ready to defend his relationship with his favorite five year old.

_I wonder when Jacob is coming. _Seth wondered, trying to change the subject.

And suddenly as if Seth had given him his que, suddenly Jacob's mind joined theirs.

_Hey guys… _He said and Leah winced. Luckily Jacob noticed. _And Leah._

_Speak of the devil. _Quil muttered.

_No, it's just Jacob._ Leah replied with a grin. And then she focused her attention on her brother. _Did you hear Mom's plan?_

_No._ Seth replied confused. Leah quickly remedied that by showing him the conversation with their mother.

_Cool! Mom's moving out! _He exclaimed cheerfully.

Nice. Quil commented. _Party at the Clearwaters!_

But Leah wasn't having any of that. _If you guys think I'm going to have a bunch of immature were-boys trashing my house on a regular basis then you have another thing coming. Plus Quil isn't your favorite kind of parties the ones where most of the guests play pin the tail on the donkey?_

_It is so nice having you back._ Quil muttered sarcastically.

_On the other hand…_ Leah started. _If you guys go with me to Seattle tomorrow to pack up the rest of my stuff, I'll consider letting you guys have a party sometime._

_I'll be there_, Jacob said right away. And his words were soon echoed by the rest of the pack. The next day they would be heading to Seattle, and hopefully this time no vampires would be present.

* * *

AN: I was on a roll today and I was able to write a nice long chapter and since I didn't want to wait any longer to post this, here you go. Thanks as always for all the wonderful reviews on this story, it really has been such an encouragement. And as always I'm super grateful if you have any comment on this little story of mine.


	11. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight unfortunately, though I would be willing to buy Leah and Jacob with my nonexistent funds.

**Finding Peace**

**Chapter 10**

Leah was very pleased that the following day she was easily able to accomplish all her errands even despite the fact that she brought her bodyguards along for the ride. As they went to Leah's apartment and former work, they were on the lookout for the vampire, but they never caught a trace of the bloodsucker's scent. When they were finally finished for the day Leah was beginning to wonder if she really did overreact, but then she wasn't about to test that theory by staying in her apartment.

Over the next few days Leah managed to get a job at the hospital, completely move in, and was beginning to establish a regular routine again. Leah's biggest regret, however, was the fact that this little hiccup would put her plans to complete college on hold. But at the same time she was settled and if not perfectly happy was at least able to cope with living in La Push again.

And now that Leah was a werewolf again, she had obligations again in her daily patrols of La Push's borders. There was a time when patrolling was the most aggravating thing in the world to Leah, but now that her life had been threatened by a vampire personally, she was eager to find any bloodsuckers coming near the reservation.

Jacob still didn't seem totally happy about leading the pack once more, but he did it without complaint, something that Leah was very surprised about. Jake used to whine and moan about everything, but oddly enough since his two year absence he had finally matured. He was quieter, calmer, and it took quite a deal to make him angry. Jacob actually acted like the adult he was. Leah couldn't help wishing that the same could be said for Embry, Quil and Seth who never seemed to grow up.

**Danton's POV**

It was silent as Danton made his down the darkened city streets of Volterra, Italy. He was cautious as he quickly found his destination. He spoke briefly to the shrouded figure of another vampire before he entered into the secret passageway through the sewer system that led him into the heart of the Volturi stronghold. When he started to get close, he noticed a small figure standing in his way.

"Let me pass, Jane," he said softly to the diminutive vampire.

Jane looked at him sulkily and Danton knew that it was taking all her self control to resist from torturing him with her mind. The reason she held back was because she knew as well as he that his gift for creating fear could easily cripple her as easily as her talent could cripple him. Neither of them would take the chance, but that didn't mean that Jane wouldn't pout about his presence.

She stood aside to let Danton pass her, but she was quick to follow him. He didn't care, but walked forward briskly and finally entered into the main chamber where the Volturi leaders and their guard were awaiting him.

Of course it was Aro who addressed him first. "Danton, my friend, did you finally agree to join us?"

That was the customary greeting that Danton expected every time he visited the Volturi. Aro envied Danton's particular talent, and would love to have him join the guard. Danton, however, had his own agenda and wouldn't be manipulated more than he would allow.

"That's not why I'm here," Danton replied. "I have something to share."

Aro raised an eyebrow inquisitively. "Oh really?" he asked, not without excitement in his voice. "May I?" he said while holding one withered, pale hand out towards Danton.

Danton stepped forward and took the hand offered, only to feel the curious sensation of Aro probing his mind the second their skin touched. He could feel as the ancient vampire went through his memories and Danton moved the process along by showing Aro everything that had to do with the female wolf. When Aro was finally satisfied, he let go and a small grin spread across his face.

"I think you're on to something, Danton," Aro admitted. "And you're right, she is a shape-shifter, not a true werewolf."

Caius looked at his brother curiously, but Aro held up a hand. "All in good time my brother, I will tell you later."

And then Aro turned his attention back to Danton. "A gift such as what you witnessed could be very valuable to me. Especially if there are more than just the one shape-shifter."

"They could be a great asset," Danton agreed, studying Aro's face.

"But only if we could tame them," Aro explained. "We can't take the female hostage until we know what the full extent of her abilities are. We don't know how many other wolves are out there and the last thing we want is a fight."

"I could continue my research," Danton replied.

Aro and Danton shared a quick searching glance and then Aro sighed. "Name your price."

And this time Danton's gaze turn cold as he glared at the Volturi leader. "You know what my price is."

Aro nodded. "Very well, continue the research and make regular reports to us. When we have enough information and can make a decent judgment, we will proceed from there."

At this Danton grinned, an altogether unnatural and creepy look for a vampire. "Pleasure doing business with you, as always."

Aro nodded gravely. "Make sure you succeed."

Danton bowed his way out of the chamber, taking note of the threat in Aro's voice. There would be no opportunity for mistakes, but if it went well then Danton's greatest dream would finally be realized. He wouldn't fail…he couldn't.

AN: I'm sorry the chapter was a little shorter than they normally are, but I was so eager to get this posted. The next one will probably be up tomorrow, and as always I'm always grateful for all your feedback! Thanks to my lovely readers!


	12. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight unfortunately, though I would be willing to buy Leah and Jacob with my nonexistent funds.

**Finding Peace**

**Chapter 11**

Leah couldn't believe that nearly had a month had passed since she moved back to La Push. It seemed like it was just yesterday that Sue told Leah that she was marrying Charlie and already that day was here. The last few weeks Sue had been so busy trying to arrange things for the ceremony and reception that she roped Leah to help her as much as possible. As a result Leah was sick of hearing about it and was happy that the day was finally here.

It wasn't hard to tell just how excited Sue was on the morning of her wedding. It was truly bizarre for Leah to witness since she'd never ever seen her mother so jittery. This encourage Leah too because she could see just how thrilled her mother was to spend the rest of her life with Charlie Swan. And Leah knew that if her father could see them now he would be very happy to see his wife and one of his best friends so happy with each other.

Sue was dressed modestly with no frills or veil, but still looked exquisite with a off white colored dress, but she was every bit the beautiful bride. Leah was Sue's only bridesmaid, though labeling her maid of honor would be more accurate. And likewise Seth was Charlie's best man.

Leah had to admit that the fact that she was soon to receive a stepfather still unnerved her to an extent, but at the same time she really did like Charlie and she was really appreciative of how happy he made her Mom. And Charlie wasn't the type of person who would try to 'father' Leah or Seth in the strictest sense of the word. Though when Leah really thought about it, Charlie himself might be the one who needed the stability of having a family again the most since his only daughter died two years ago.

"Honey, you look beautiful," Sue said looking at Leah with a gentle smile.

Leah scoffed, after all it was her Mom's wedding and she certainly wasn't trying to impress anyone. She quickly glanced down at her short midnight blue gown, and she was strongly reminded that this was the first time she'd worn a dress since her high school prom. In fact Leah felt feminine for the first time in months. Not having her period because of the damn werewolf gene made it so she didn't really feel like a woman anymore.

Leah's attention was back on her mother's face. "Mom, don't you know that the bride is the only one who's allowed to be beautiful today?"

Sue chuckled gently. "But you are my daughter Leah, and I'll always think you're beautiful."

"Thanks," Leah remarked casually, though inwardly she felt like hugging her mother right then. It was so seldom that she got compliments these days.

Suddenly they both heard a knock on the door. "Who is it?" Leah asked loudly.

"Leah?" came the sound of Seth's voice.

"No it's my evil twin," Leah retorted sarcastically as Seth opened the door and walked in. He looked very handsome for a change, and decidedly uncomfortable in his tux.

"You could've fooled me," Seth replied with a grin.

"Nice," Leah replied, rolling her eyes.

"You guys look great," Seth said kindly. "Are you ready to go?"

Sue smiled a determined smiled. "I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

* * *

The ceremony went smoothly and quickly, and before long Charlie and Sue were finally bonded in holy matrimony. Leah was pleased to see that her mother wasn't disappointed. Charlie was there though he looked somewhat embarrassed when he said his vows and pulled at his tux collar more than once during the ceremony. But finally the minister declared them man and wife, and at last it was time for the reception.

During the reception itself Leah had just one plan going in; avoid Sam and Emily at all costs. The whole time that she'd been back in La Push, Leah never talked to them and always left when they were coming for a visit. She wasn't sure if they knew she was avoiding them, but all the same Leah wasn't going to talk to them if at all possible. The only problem was that since Emily and now Sam were family there was no choice, but to invite them.

Leah knew that Sam was probably angry with her by how she spoke to his aunt during the shower, and she really didn't want to hash up memories that really didn't do her any good. So for the majority of the reception Leah was spending time with her packmates or her mother, only escaping to the restroom when one of them was getting closer. Unfortunately for Leah, she didn't succeed.

And of course it was Sam who cornered her.

"Leah," he said giving her one of his infamous phony grins. "Will you dance with me?"

Leah wanted to say _"no way in hell will I dance with you"_ but since this was her Mother's wedding and she didn't want to make a scene she said "Fine," and walking with him onto the dance floor. And of course the upbeat song that was playing changed that minute into a slow one.

Leah gritted her teeth as she and Sam started to dance, but the look on her face was a calm mask.

"How are you doing?" Sam asked randomly, as if he was just trying to make small talk.

"Fine," Leah repeated again.

"Just so you know," Sam started quietly. "Emily is really happy that you came back to live in La Push."

_Of course he wants to talk about Emily_, Leah thought grimly.

"And well she wanted me to ask you something," Sam continued.

_Here we go,_ Leah thought. _Bring on the accusations._

"Emily…and I were wondering if you would be our son's godmother," Sam finished uneasily, studying her face for a reaction.

Leah was absolutely stunned, and she couldn't help the laughter that burst forth. "You seriously want ME as the kid's godmother?"

Sam nodded.

Leah stopped laughing, but she was still amused. She never would've guessed that, but it was such a typical thing for Emily to do. First she tried to make Leah happy by making her a bridesmaid and now she wanted her for godmother, where would it end? Still perhaps being a godmother wouldn't be so bad, and Leah vaguely wondered if she could corrupt the child by the time it could talk.

"Fine," Leah repeated again and this time Sam grinned.

"Thank you so much Leah," he said.

Leah nodded, because she honestly didn't feel like talking to Sam anymore. Unfortunately Sam seemed to think that was his invitation to go on and on about Emily, her pregnancy and all their plans for their baby. Within a matter of seconds Leah was getting very close to slugging him by the second, that's how much he was beginning to irritate her.

Luckily just at that second she felt a tap on her shoulder and she looked up to see Jacob Black standing there. He looked at Sam and spoke. "May I cut in?"

Sam nodded and left, presumably to return to his pregnant wife.

Leah looked at Jake and smiled as they start to dance. "Thank you, he was driving me crazy."

Jacob laughed. "Yeah, you looked like you were about to phase."

"Sam tends to bring out that reaction in me," Leah quipped back.

"I know," Jacob replied with a nod.

And then they were both quiet for a long minute, gently swaying to the music. Leah was struck again by how different Jacob was these days. And it wasn't just the fact that he was more mature than he once was, but there was a calm demeanor that he always carried with him that was so incredibly different than he once was. At times though he still joked and smiled the way he once did, and though it was becoming more frequent, it was still a rarity.

As they continued to dance, Leah was taken aback by the intense look in his dark eyes. It gave her a strange feeling and she averted her gaze. She really had no clue why, but for the last week she couldn't bear to look him in the eye. Leah knew it was stupid, but she had no control over it. Still this was just Jake, a guy that she'd known her whole life, not to mention her Alpha.

Leah forced herself to meet his gaze head on. "Thank you," she said softly.

Jacob grinned widely, his white teeth showing. "Any time."

* * *

AN: Well there you go, chapter 11. I thought you guys would like a little breather before the drama starts (namely Danton scheming). Thanks again for all your lovely reviews because they are like gold to me. This story is already my most popular fic ever, and I've been writing fanfic for years. Anyways, I hope everyone liked this chapter and I'll be totally grateful if you leave me a review. Thanks!


	13. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight unfortunately, though I would be willing to buy Leah and Jacob with my nonexistent funds.

**Finding Peace**

**Chapter 12**

**Danton's POV**

If frustration could kill a vampire then Danton was sure that he would be at death's door. To say that the last month was totally worthless wouldn't be an understatement. If Danton would've known that it would be so difficult to capture one shape-shifter then he wouldn't have bothered. But he made the decision to involve he Volturi now and there was no backing down.

When he arrived in Forks after his visit to Italy, Danton was sure that it would be fairly simple to discover the Quileutes' secrets and capture the female, but it was a month later and he still had nothing to show for all his efforts. The only fortunate thing was that the Volturi hadn't checked up on him, and hopefully they wouldn't until he was ready.

Danton's biggest concern at the moment was the fact that he couldn't find a way to break past their defenses and due to the fact that the she-wolf could apparently detect that he was a werewolf, he was careful to not be any place where his scent could be detected. This unfortunately meant that La Push was out of the question, and he also had to be very careful where he went in Forks.

It was very obvious that the Quileute tribe hid their abilities to turn into wolves, by disguising them as myths, but Danton realized that even these stories were difficult to find. The vague information that the newborn vampire gave to him last month was totally exhausted and absolutely worthless. And Danton still was unsure about even the simplest question he had about how many of these canine shape-shifters there actually were.

The one thing he knew for sure and that was that there were at least five of them including the Clearwater girl. He only knew that much because Danton swan in the ocean near La Push, and observed them when he could. The convenient thing about taking to the water was that it covered up his scent nicely for one and secondly he could easily submerge under the water for minutes at a time if he happened to see anyone. Not having to breathe did have its advantages.

Danton also had to be careful in one other way that made things difficult for him and that was the matter of feeding. He certainly had no qualms about preying on the good people of Forks, but in a town this small random murders would become all too noticeable. So he either had to go several miles out of the way to satiate his thirst or find another way. He settled on taking down tourists. And not just any tourists that passed through, but the loners and those whose families wouldn't send a search part to Forks. Luckily for Danton there were many such people passing through all the time, being conveniently located to the ocean and to the Olympic National Park, which made things all too easy.

In all of Danton's observations he noticed a trend with many of the men in the Quileute tribe, there were all incredibly large and it gave rise to his opinion that those were the men who had the ability to turn into wolves. After all the she-wolf's best friends were some of the tallest men in the tribe. The problem was that there were nearly a dozen men who matched the description and if they were all wolves he would be vastly outnumbered.

Another complication was that Danton really wasn't sure how many women could turn into wolves. Yes the Clearwater girl was a little taller than normal, but she still wasn't oversized the way the men were. So that made it even more difficult to try and figure out which and how many of the Quileute women had the ability to shape-shift.

For a moment Danton wondered if he could just ambush Clearwater by attacking her when she visited Forks. But for all he knew she could summon the other wolves to help her in an instant. It seemed very clear that she was ever vigilant whenever he saw her in town and it seemed like some of the men were always around her. It was a risky endeavor that was for sure. So then Danton decided to try an easier target, one who likely wasn't as well protected and was caught off his guard.

As it turned out Danton got his opportunity the following day when he was standing across the street from the Forks Thriftway. At the time it was pouring so he figured he had enough cover in the gloom of the dreary day, and he had been just watching the happenings in and out of the store when he saw him.

It was a relatively young man, but he definitely was as oversized as some of the other Quileute men. Still Danton only estimated that the guy was only fifteen or sixteen and was probably still in high school even. The teenager was also totally oblivious and naïve, and luckily just happened to walk right by the place Danton was hiding.

With lightening quick reflexes he grabbed the man by his over large arms and dragged him over behind a building before the teen even had a chance to protest. Danton stood over him and quickly used his gift on the boy, making him shiver and look up at the vampire with a terrified expression.

"Who are you?" the boy asked shakily. He studied Danton for another half a second his brown eyes widening when he saw Danton's crimson gaze. "You're a vampire!"

"What is your name?" Danton asking in a commanding tone, ignoring what he said.

"Co-Collin," he stuttered.

"Well Collin," Danton started. "You are scared right now, and I really don't blame you but… it will be justified if you don't listen to everything I say."

Collin nodded. "I will."

"Tell me," Danton asked. "Are you a shape-shifter or a werewolf?"

At this Collin looked like he was struggling with himself, and the second he opened his mouth to speak he made a peculiar choking sound. After a long moment he finally spoke. "No."

Danton glared at him, getting irritated, and intensified his talent on the unsuspecting teenager. "Don't lie to me!"

"I'm n-not," Collin replied.

Danton decided to try another tactic. "Do you know Leah Clearwater?"

Collin nodded.

"When did she become a wolf?" he asked.

Collin sputter, gasped and once more tried to talk but for some bizarre reason he was unable to.

"Tell me!" Danton ordered, not impressed.

"Can't," Collin gasped. "Not allowed."

Interesting, Danton thought as he watched the teen be tormented by something that handicapped him even more than the dose of fear he gave him. One thing was for sure Danton really didn't believe that Collin had the willpower to fight off Danton's power alone, and he really wasn't sure what else was going on yet.

"Why can't you tell me?" Danton pressed.

"Command," Collin said.

"Who commanded you?" Danton asked.

"Sam Uley," Collin said, and then he grabbed his throat because he was still in some sort of obvious pain.

"Who is that?" Danton wondered out loud.

"Can't…say," Collin admitted.

Danton was growing even more frustrated by the second, and it seemed like Collin would never be able to tell him what he wanted to know. The shape-shifters apparently had better methods of keeping their secrets then even he anticipated. He was stuck again, and for a brief second he felt like taking his anger out on the teenager. But the boy's disappearance would be noticed Danton was sure.

"I'm letting you go," Danton said to Collin, causing the boy to look up in total shock."But if you tell anybody that I'm here or what I asked, then I will kill you. It's a promise."

Collin nodded briskly. "I won't!"

And as Danton studied the boy for once last time he was pleased to see that Collin was really and truly terrified of him. Collin wouldn't tell the others that was for sure, luckily for him.

Seconds later Danton was watching Collin walk hastily away, and he pondered again on the curious conversation. It seemed he was stumped again, and would need to think of something else to reach his goals. But for now he would continue to observe the occupants of La Push, and hopefully it wouldn't take too long.

* * *

AN: Poor Collin, he was just in the wrong place in the wrong time. It totally didn't help him to have the Alpha command working against him. I know there was no Leah or Jacob in this chapter, but I think the next chapter will make up for it. I would also like to clarify something that was just brought to my attention. As far as Charlie goes, he is totally unaware that Nessie exists since the Cullens couldn't exactly cover up the fact that she aged so fast. And since Bella died, Jacob never exposed his wolfy secret to Charlie so he is still totally in the dark. Also thanks to all my lovely reviewers and as always I'm always grateful for any feedback!


	14. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight unfortunately, though I would be willing to buy Leah and Jacob with my nonexistent funds.

**Finding Peace**

**Chapter 13**

_**One Month Later**_

"C'mon Leah, you promised!"

"Yeah, please?"

Leah rolled her eyes in irritation and glared at Quil and Seth. She honestly just wished they would drop it, they had been begging to have a house party for ages now. "I said I might," she replied. "I never promised, only that I would think about it."

"Which is code for no," Quil muttered.

"Why do you even care anyway?" Leah wondered. "This wouldn't be a princess party."

Quil only glared at her in consternation.

"It's my home too Leah, Seth said then. "Shouldn't I get some say in this?"

Leah snorted. "The deed was rewritten in my name little bro, and plus you're still a minor so what I say goes."

Seth sighed in frustration and turned to look at Quil again. Quil just leaned in close to Seth and whispered which Leah found amusing since he knew very well that her ears could easily pick it up. But then as she listened to the words, she realized that was the point.

"Leah just doesn't know how to have fun these days."

Leah rolled her eyes again at the two and put her hands on her hip before she spoke. "It won't work on me; try your reverse psychology crap on someone who cares."

The she turned around and walked out of the house without even waiting to hear their response. One of the biggest things that bugged Leah the most was when people were trying to manipulate her. And the fact was that her fellow packmates were always trying to beg her for something, with the exception of Jacob.

As Leah got into her car and drove to work at the hospital, she couldn't help but think of how well things had been going for her in the last few weeks. It was really strange and she couldn't really explain it, but Leah felt more alive than she had in years. Almost everything in her life she was thoroughly enjoying right now from her job, to running her own home, and even her rounds with the pack. Leah may act like she despises the other guys, but really the five of them were super close though they didn't often admit it. As much as she sometimes despised Embry or Quil, she knew without a shadow of a doubt any one of them would die to protect her, and she would do the same.

The more Leah ran with Jacob, the more she was really starting to understand him. She was pleasantly surprised to discover that he never did anything to purposefully tick her off like he once did when they were in Sam's pack. But that didn't mean that he didn't joke around sometimes, and Leah even noticed that the more time went on he was becoming a happier guy all around as time went on. Though his thoughts weren't always easy to decipher anymore if Leah had to guess she would say that Jake was finally letting go of Bella Swan.

Leah was suddenly drawn out of her reverie as she slowly drew closer to Forks. Though she still loved to speed she certainly didn't want her stepfather writing her a ticket. As it wasn't raining at the moment (they the clouds were still dark) Leah actually had her window down for a change. And that's when it hit her. _Vampire_…she could smell a vampire in the near vicinity. Leah took a couple deep breaths as she looked around as she arrived at the hospital; all the while she was dialing the Blacks.

Luckily Jacob picked up on the first ring. "Hello?"

"Jake, this is Leah," she said calmly, not wanting to alarm him. "A vampire is in Forks."

"Where?" he asked concerned.

"Somewhere in town," Leah admitted. "But I'm not sure where because I only smell it in passing."

"I'll get the pack together and we'll be on our way, where are you now?" he asked.

"At the hospital, my shift starts soon."

"Ok, well I'll let you know what we found when you get off," Jake replied.

"Ok, talk to you then," Leah answered and then because she felt strange compelled, she said. "Be careful."

"You do care," Jacob joked then, trying to ease the mood. "I'm touched."

Leah laughed then, letting go of her fear. "I just don't want my little brother to become vampire chow."

Jacob chuckled again. "So it's all about Seth."

"Of course," Leah agreed unconvincingly.

"I'll look after him," Jacob replied.

"I know," Leah agreed. "Oh and Jake, take care."

* * *

**Jacob's POV**

After Jacob hung up with Leah, he immediately felt panicky. He couldn't explain it but two years ago he was eager and excited to take out vampires, but now he didn't want to go anywhere near one. But all the same he was the Alpha and it was his responsibility to take out vampires, and then he felt it again the angry urge to rip up the bloodsucker that dared to invade Forks. He wondered vaguely if it was the same leech that attacked Leah a couple months ago, because if it was then the bloodsucker wouldn't know what hit it. Nobody messed with his pack and got away with it.

As Jacob's mind raged, he finally reached the safety of the forest and he quickly stripped and phased. When he finally morphed into the wolf body he knew so well, he howled to get the attention of the others. Seth, Quil and Embry were close, and within a minute all three of them skidded to a stop right before him. Jacob quickly showed them his conversation with Leah.

Seth was of course the most alarmed especially after he picked up Jacob's thoughts that it could be the vampire that went after his sister a few months ago. _I hope it isn't him, maybe the Cullen's came back or something._

_Don't get your hopes up kid. _Jacob replied.

_What's the plan? _Embry asked.

_Seth stay here in La Push and watch the border. Quil, Embry you are with me and we'll go vampire hunting._

Of course Seth immediately protested. _Why do I have to stay? I want to help look for the vampire!  
_

_Sorry Seth. _Jacob answered. _I need someone to look after La Push while we're gone, and Leah said that she doesn't want you to be and I quote 'vampire chow'. _

Seth sighed and pouted. _I can look after myself._

_I know you can, but I need you to do this for me. _Jacob replied. _Plus don't make me have to use the Alpha command on you._

And then Seth's thoughts suddenly grew more worried. _I will do what you say Jacob, but you should know that before I left I got a phone call. It was Sam saying Emily went into labor and they are going to the hospital right now!_

_We better get moving then. _Jacob commanded.

* * *

AN: There you have it chapter 13, and let me tell you that the next chapter is one that I've been excited to write ever since I started this story. A bunch of you were asking about Collin phasing, so I figured I should clarify. Collin and the rest of Sam's pack no longer phase and no longer have the capability to. I like to imagine that when someone gives it up for good then they are basically stuck as humans. So that's why poor Collin was utterly defenseless when Danton struck. Leah is the rare exception to this rule, but I'll explain that later. I also want to thank all my lovely reviewers and as always I'm always grateful for any feedback!


	15. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight unfortunately, though I would be willing to buy Leah and Jacob with my nonexistent funds.

**Finding Peace**

**Chapter 14**

Despite the fact that Leah wanted nothing more than to phase and go after the vampire with the rest, she had to work. She would've loved to call off but they really frowned upon that in such a small town and honestly Leah really couldn't afford to find another job. So she clocked in and started to work, but every minute was pure torture because she was so anxious to find out what happened.

It was only two hours into her shift when Leah was suddenly paged to another floor out of the blue, and it confused her since it was a floor she never worked on. When Leah arrived, however, she quickly learned that it was Sam who paged her since Emily was in labor. Though Leah really didn't want to, nor had the time to, she went into the room.

The scene before her was sickeningly sappy, and it took quite some restraint for Leah to keep from hurling. Sam was standing next to Emily's bed with his hand gently rubbing her protruding stomach. They looked so completely overjoyed, so serene, and ultimately so happy. Leah nearly felt bad for walking in on such an intimate moment between the two, but then she had witnessed even more such moments years ago when she still shared Sam's thoughts. As she stood there Leah felt an incredible sadness well up in her. They represented all she lost, what she could never have, and Leah had no choice but to look away.

It was then that Emily noticed Leah and she smiled up at her cheerfully. "I'm so happy you're here, Leah."

Leah put on one of her patented fake smiles and walked over to stand at the foot of the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Wonderful," Emily replied beaming. "Or at least I will be when Samuel Junior arrives."

_Of course he's named after his father_, Leah thought sarcastically.

Emily continued to grin even when a contraction hit her a moment later. She winced slightly, but other than that she showed no sign of discomfort.

Sam moved his hand to squeeze Emily's and at the same time his face grew as agonized as if it was him who was having the baby. He looked over at the fetal monitor. "It's almost over, Em."

Emily just nodded and looked up at her husband with such a loving look on her damaged face. It was then that Leah hastily made her exit.

* * *

A couple of hours later Leah eagerly made her way to the break room, dialing Seth's cell as she went.

Luckily he picked up right away. "Leah!" He exclaimed in his normally joyful manner. "I was just about to call you."

"What happened?" Leah demanded.

"Not much to be honest," Seth admitted. "Jake picked up the vampire scent alright but the trail went cold. He thinks it was probably just a nomad passing through."

"At least there wasn't a fight," Leah replied, feeling relieved.

"That's for sure," Seth agreed. "So how is Emily doing?"

"Still a ways from delivering," Leah said. "It will probably be another few hours."

"Ok," Seth answered. "Mom just wanted an update, and she wants to know when it happens."

"I will call you later," Leah said though she really didn't want to spend any more time with her cousin and ex boyfriend. Oh well, she would just have to suffer in silence. Again.

* * *

**Jacob's POV**

It was nearly midnight when he got the call that Emily had given birth to a healthy baby boy. At the time Jacob was facing severe insomnia and so he decided to go down to the hospital. He was only slightly interesting in meeting the newest Uley, but he also needed to inform Sam about the night's adventure with the nonexistent vamp.

Jacob couldn't help but be hugely frustrated that the vampire escaped. To think that one of those parasites was hanging around town recently nearly made his blood boil. And because of this, Jacob knew that he and the pack would have to keep a closer eye on the comings and goings in Forks from now on.

The reason for telling Sam was very simple. Although Sam and most of the pack no longer phased into wolves, they could still recognize a vampire if they saw one. And though their sense of smell was greatly diminished, they still would be able to smell one. And if they did it would be all too easy to get hold of one of the current pack members should they find anything. Sam still kept in close contact with his former pack, so he was by far the best person to contact.

When Jacob arrived at the hospital, it was a long while before he was able to tear Sam away from Emily and his infant son, and when he did talk to him it took less than five minutes. Then as soon as they were done Sam instantly rushed back to his wife's side, and Jake followed behind him albeit more slowly. When he entered the room he saw that Emily was fast asleep and so was the incredibly tiny baby in her arms.

"Isn't he beautiful," Sam said proudly.

Jake smiled. "Congrats, Sam."

"Thank you," Sam replied, and then when Jacob wasn't looking someone came to stand right next to him.

Jake knew who it was before he even turned. He would recognize her feminine scent anywhere. "Hey Leah."

Leah looked at him scrutinizing his expression. "You look tired."

"So do you," Jacob countered.

"Shh," said Sam suddenly. "You'll wake them."

But it was too late, because Emily's eyes opened just as he spoke.

"Hello handsome," she said looking up at her husband.

"Hello love," Sam said to her softly. "You should get more sleep, you must be tired."

"I can't sleep," Emily said then. "I'm too excited." And then she looked down at the baby in her arms. "He looks just like his Dad."

"I don't think so," Sam disagreed. "He's all you, Em." And then they kissed without further ado.

Jacob looked away uncomfortably and he was surprised to see the door closing. _Leah. It must've been torture for her to see that_, Jacob thought. And suddenly he felt such extreme sympathy and grief for her that before Jake knew it he took off after her. It wasn't difficult for him to find her, she took off down the hall and when he found her it was in an abandoned room at the end of the hall.

For a second Jacob didn't believe that it was actually her because the woman in front of his was silently sobbing, her body shaking as she cried into her hands. Leah looked for so broken, so positively defeated, that it was hard for Jacob to believe that this was the same strong, beautiful girl he'd known his entire life. She did such a valiant job of hiding that which hurt her, but she wasn't immune. Jacob could sympathize.

For a moment he hesitated and then he was kneeling down beside her. Leah's first reaction when she noticed him was defensive anger. "What do you want?!?" she exclaimed glaring at him.

Jacob ignored it and asked a stupid question since he couldn't think of anything better. "How are you?"

"Wonderful," Leah lied.

"No you're not," Jacob called her on her bluff. "Please talk to me."

Leah sighed then and suddenly she didn't look so angry anymore. "If I talk about it then it hurts worse."

Jacob nodded. "I know," he said. "It was the same for me."

"Yeah, I know," Leah replied.

"But it was you who gave me the most valuable advice," Jacob declared.

"What?" Leah asked skeptically. "Don't trust guys because they are just idiots with hormones?"

"No," Jacob shook his head. "You told me to not let my loss rule me, and that life was too short."

"I said that?" Leah asked baffled.

"You did and I appreciate it more than you'll ever know," Jacob admitted.

Leah sighed. "I wish I could let this go. I tried to move to not be reminded of Sam and Emily, and I'm just stuck here again."

"I'm stuck too," Jacob said. "And though I was mad earlier, I'm not going to let it bug me."

"You've really changed, Jake," Leah remarked. "There was a time when that would drive you insane."

Jacob chuckled. "I know."

And then Leah looked straight into his eyes, and smiled an honest and genuine smile. Not a smirk or a sneer, but it was real. "Thank you," she breathed.

" You're welcome," Jacob whispered back. And then as they looked at one another, Jacob could tell just how close their faces were and he was suddenly overcome by the sudden urge to kiss her. He leaned towards her and when she didn't pull away, their lips met in a tender and utterly amazing kiss. It was, Jacob quickly decided the best kiss of his existence. Better than the stolen kisses with Bella. But all too soon it was over, and Leah pulled away.

She didn't look at him, she didn't acknowledge him, but merely stood and walked out of the room as fast as she could. Jacob was stunned and wondered, _what did I do wrong? _This was certainly going to complicate things.

* * *

AN: There you have it Jacob and Leah finally kissed. But one thing is for sure things are definitely not going to be smooth sailing for the two. I hope you guys enjoyed this and as always I'm always grateful for any feedback. Thanks again to everyone for reading!


	16. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight unfortunately, though I would be willing to buy Leah and Jacob with my nonexistent funds.

**Finding Peace**

**Chapter 15**

Leah was in absolute shock when she finally got home later that evening. The whole thing with Emily and Sam nearly put all her emotions on meltdown and the kiss with Jacob pushed her to the limit. She couldn't bear to confront Jacob right then and there, so Leah did the thing that she could do best—running away.

She promised herself that she wouldn't cry because of Sam ever again and today Leah totally blew it. It wasn't so much the jealousy that made her upset, because she was completely over him. But seeing the closeness that Emily shared with him struck a cord with her. Leah couldn't watch it any longer which is why she left. And when she finally stopped, the tears fell and Leah couldn't hold them back any longer.

The first thing that Leah thought when Jacob arrived was anger. She didn't like to be seen as a vulnerable woman, especially when she prided herself on being just as tough as the guys. But that was shattered when Jake saw her because it would only be a matter of time before the rest of the pack saw it.

But Jacob surprised her by showing Leah compassion, something he probably wouldn't have done a few years ago. He comforted her in a way that Leah missed ever since she lost her father. And Jacob was able to make the most impossible thing possible, he made her smile again. But after that he did the most surprising thing of all by kissing her.

Leah still didn't know what to make of the kiss. On one hand it was wonderful and sweet and all around fantastic, but on the other it just confused her. Yes Leah knew Jacob Black her entire life, but never had she thought of him as boyfriend material. Though if Leah were to be completely honest with herself she had been thinking more about him lately, and there was also the fact that she couldn't deny that she kissed him back.

Kissing Jacob felt wholly and absolutely right, as if he was always meant to kiss her. But Leah was just so uncertain as to what her next move should be. Getting into a relationship with anyone would be complicated, but getting into one with Jacob would be even more difficult by the mere fact that both of them carried so much baggage from the past. And then there was the fact that they were both wolves. Leah was not about to get invested in a relationship again where there was the possibility that Jacob would imprint and break her heart just like Sam.

* * *

**Jacob's POV**

Jacob felt like kicking himself the second that Leah ran from the hospital room. He was abruptly reminded of the time when Bella punched him for kissing him, and despite Leah's less violent reaction, he felt even guiltier for kissing her. He was so conflicted so much these days, but Leah had surprisingly been the one person to bring some joy back into his life. And when she left, he couldn't help but wonder if he alienated her forever.

Leah was such a good friend to him lately and Jacob was always so grateful for her company, but it was very rare that he thought of her in a romantic way. When he kissed her it surprised him almost as much as it did her, but he was so lost in the moment that he didn't hesitate. And now it seemed that he was going to be paying the price. He hoped that this wouldn't ruin their newfound friendship, nor that it would complicate things with the pack.

Jacob didn't stay long at the hospital and when he left it took him a full minute before he realized that he was running right towards the Clearwater's house. It wasn't as if Jake knew what he was going to say to Leah, because he honestly didn't. But he also knew that something had to be said. He debated for a moment between the decision to alter his course and go home, but in the end he didn't turn away. Before long he was standing in front of the darkened house.

Jake didn't phase on his run over from Forks, but since it gave him a moment to think clearly without other thoughts in his head, he gladly took on the freezing cold rain on the way. Not that the weather ever really bothered him anymore, since after all he ran hotter than the majority of the human race. As he stood there looking towards the darkened building, doubt once more struck him, but he again didn't hesitate when he grabbed a handful of pebbles and threw then lightly against Leah's window.

It took a few minutes, but with Jacob's persistence a bedraggled looking Leah finally stuck her head out the window. She glared at him. "Can't a girl get her beauty sleep?"

Jacob got right to the point. "We need to talk."

Leah sighed. "No we don't."

"I'm sorry if I upset you when…" Jacob started, but Leah quickly cut him off.

"You didn't upset me, I really don't care," Leah remarked in her natural sarcastic tone.

"If you don't care then why did you run away?" Jacob asked.

"Because I could," Leah muttered.

"That's not good enough," Jacob replied, starting to get frustrated.

"Tough," Leah stated angrily.

"I just want to know the truth," Jacob said.

"Look," Leah snapped. "It was nothing, meant nothing, and will always be nothing. So let's just drop it ok?"

"I don't think you're telling the truth," Jacob retorted.

"Too bad," Leah remarked quickly. And then she grabbed her window frame, ready to slam it shut. "Night, Jake." The window closed with a loud bang and Jacob stood there, stunned.

* * *

**Danton's POV **

Danton moved quickly through the crowded Seattle streets, cautiously checking his surroundings as he went. He figured that he along with majority of the vampires in the world all suffered from extreme paranoia. Danton was certainly on edge as he slowly reached his destination. He was moving further into a poorer neighborhood, and avoided all the people making their way to the local eateries and coffee shops. He couldn't bear to lose his self control now.

The last month was also another difficult one for Danton as he still hadn't discovered the secrets of the Quileute tribe, and all his subsequent efforts to ensnare someone who might have the knowledge he needed was proving increasingly difficult. And then he did something incredibly foolish in the last week when he accidently forgot to cover his scent in Forks, and the shape-shifter wolves were now on high alert. This made Danton decide that he needed to try something else.

Danton continued on his now solitary walk as he finally reached the slummier parts of town, where human violence was extremely high. And the thing was that this place was also where many a newborn vampire also met their match. The thing was that they never knew what hit them until it was too late.

He was ever more cautious as he reached a rundown home at the end of the street. He quickly rapped on the door silently, quickly, and waited.

Danton couldn't hear any movement inside, and then when he was least expecting it, someone slammed into him.

"Danton!" exclaimed the assailant jubilantly. "What are you doing here?"

Danton stood and dusted himself off, looking at the other with a scathing look. The person was in fact another vampire whose shabby appearance betrayed his good looks. "Did you need to do that?"

"Of course, little bro," the vampire said grinning.

"Devon, you are far too immature," Danton replied condescendingly. "It is hard to believe you are nearly two hundred years old."

Devon just shrugged. "So again, what are you doing here?"

Danton sighed. "I need a favor."

Devon raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Don't tell me, you're working the Italian scum again."

Danton bristled in anger. "Strictly freelance," he declared.

The other vampire rolled his eyes. "So what is it this time, Dan?"

"I need some help, and your particular skill would make things," Danton replied. Then he quickly told his brother the entire story. When it was finished he watched his brother's face carefully, eagerly awaiting his reaction.

* * *

AN: I apologize for the lateness of this story, but I was hit by a combination of writer's block and being too busy in the last couple days. I will say that this week I might be a little slow with updating since I take my STNA (nurse's aide) certification test on Friday, and I'm studying like mad at the moment. And after that I'm hosting fanfiction awards at a Star Wars website (since I'm a sucker for punishment), so while I think I'll be updating normally there will probably be some days where I'll be too crazy busy to do anything. Thanks to all of you for your patience with me!

Secondly, what do you guys think of Danton's brother Devon? And did any of you figure out what his weird little vampire talent is? I have to admit that he (and the Leah/Jacob fight) didn't even exist in my outline until I was actually writing it, since this story likes to write itself so much. There will definitely be some crazy chaos ahead for all parties! And once more thanks to all my faithful readers, and as always I'm super appreciative of any feedback!


	17. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight unfortunately, though I would be willing to buy Leah and Jacob with my nonexistent funds.

**Finding Peace**

**Chapter 16**

**Emily's POV**

It had been two blissfully happy weeks since Emily came home from the hospital with her newborn son. Every single thing about her life now was perfect. She had a beautiful home, a loving husband, and now the most beautiful baby boy. Being a parent was definitely an adjustment, but one she was thrilled to take on. But there was just one thing that was missing.

Ever since Sam Jr. was born all the neighbors continually brought them food, which meant it had been weeks since Emily cooked or baked. It wasn't that Emily wasn't grateful, but she was ready to use her kitchen again, and take on the rest of the domestic duties she let slide when she returned home. But the first thing she would need to do regardless was to go to the grocery store. Convincing Sam to let her go alone was going to be difficult, however, since he was by far the most protective husband.

It wasn't that she wanted to get away from Sam, but it was more that Emily felt happier shopping by herself. Immersing herself in the aisles and plotting recipes in her head was one of her favorite things to do, and Sam tended to get impatient with tasks such as shopping. That just left the problem of trying to convince Sam to let her go.

When Emily approached her husband she was suddenly she was suddenly washed with increasing love for him because there he was with Sammy snuggled on his chest, both of them in peaceful sleep. The scene was so beautiful that Emily wished she had a camera, but just them Sam opened his eyes.

"Emily," he breathed. "How are you feeling?"

"Fantastic," Emily replied honestly. "I'm cooking tonight, so I'm going to the grocery store for a bit."

Sam looked concerned suddenly. "Why don't we go together?"

Emily smiled gently. "Sammy looks too comfortable, I'll just go myself."

Sam sighed, but nodded. "Be careful."

"I will," Emily replied. "I'll be right back."

"We'll be waiting," Sam said. "Love you."

Five minutes later Emily was well on her way to the Forks Thriftway.

* * *

**Seth's POV**

Seth looked at Leah's door and sighed in frustration. Ever since Emily had her baby Leah was moodier than ever and Seth was starting to get really concerned for her. She refused to phase and run patrols anymore, and the only places she ever went these days was work and her bedroom. He knew that Leah was upset, but he couldn't help but wonder if it was more than just Sam and Emily that was making her this way. But he really couldn't figure it out.

Jacob was taking a different approach to Leah's absence. Despite the fact that Seth kept bugging him about Leah, Jake didn't seem too bothered about Leah's absence from what he could tell. He kept saying that she would come back when she wanted to, and never told Seth anything more than that. He had a sinking suspicion that Jacob knew more than he was letting on, but even when they were wolvers together, Seth was no closer to discovering what was going on.

He braced himself and finally gained enough courage to knock on Leah's door.

"What?" Leah snapped through the door.

"Leah," Seth started. "What's going on? Jake—"

"What about Jake?" she interrupted.

"He doesn't seem bothered that his Beta is gone, and he won't even pick a new one," Seth explained.

"What's the point?"

"I think that he's not telling me something," Seth admitted.

"I think you don't even know what you're talking about," Leah retorted.

Won't you come out of there?" Seth pleaded.

"You know, you're about pathetic Seth. Go away."

Seth sighed. "I'm not going to drop this."

"Sucks to be you," Leah commented nastily.

Seth sighed once more and walked away sadly. He was desperate to know what was wrong with her, but he didn't have a single clue. Girls still confused him, and his sister was even worse to try and figure out than most. Still a thought occurred to him then…Maybe Embry or Quil would have an idea.

* * *

**Danton's POV**

Danton was watching when he saw her enter in the store and he was lying in wait the moment she left. He had been spending the majority of the day looking to ensnare another of the elusive Quileutes, but of course it was as fruitless a search as most were. That was until he saw her. She was a relatively young woman with black hair and copper skin, but the thing that drew her to Danton was the curious scars she had running down the side of her face.

He knew those marks could be left by a number of wild animals, but he had a hunch one of those wolves did it. The claw marks were the same dimensions that made it likely that a wolf could've made it, but he of course couldn't be absolutely positive. That was until he caught a whiff of her scent as she walked into the Thriftway, she carried that same putrid odor the wolves had, though hers was far less concentrated. Interesting, he thought that she would spend time amongst the wolves when it was so obvious that one of them hurt her. Still curiosity got him only so far, so he planned how to trap her.

Like the wolf Collin he caught weeks ago, she was totally oblivious to the fact that he was behind her until he grabbed her shoulder. She froze instantaneously, and sucked in a breath as though to scream. Danton was having none of that, however, and so he quickly turned her to face him and sent waves of fear throughout her.

"I wouldn't scream if I were you," Danton said softly. She looked as though she wanted to argue with him, but when she looked into his eyes, she hesitated.

"You're one of them," she said in a trembling voice. "A vampire."

"You catch on fast," Danton replied amused, taking her arm and pulling her between two buildings where they wouldn't be seen. He could see it in her eyes that she desperately wanted to get away, but he also knew that she was complete paralyzed by fear. A total puppet who would tell him anything he wanted.

"I'm going to ask you some questions," Danton said to her. "And I want you to answer everything honestly because if you don't I swear I will make your life living hell."

She nodded vigorously, and then Danton caught a new smell, the nauseating smell of infant formula.

"I will kill your baby for starters," he said with a grin.

The dark skinned woman turned pale as a ghost if that was possible, and Danton knew that the fear he shot at her didn't come close to matching the terror that his words held for her.

"I will tell you everything you want to know," she replied desperately. "Just please don't hurt my son!"

"Now that we understand each other," Danton said then. "Are you Quileute?"

"No," she breathed. "I'm Makah."

"Do you live in La Push?" Danton asked.

She nodded.

"Do you know Leah Clearwater?" he pressed.

She looked at him strangely then, but she answered right away. "Leah is my cousin."

Danton smiled wider. "Good, I want you to tell me everything you know about Leah, and the wolf pack."

"How do you know about that?" she gasped.

"I have my ways," Danton replied. "Tell me."

Emily sighed, but started to speak. "Leah is the very first woman from the Quileute who turned into a wolf. It was always said that only the sons of the original wolves could transform, but Leah is the first of her kind…"

An hour later Danton let the woman free after she told him everything he wanted to know. She had told him everything he'd wanted to know for months, and while it was risky leaving her alive, it would send up an ever larger red flag if the mate to one of the former wolves suddenly disappeared. He was confident she wouldn't talk, because she definitely took his threats seriously. As a new mother she had too much to lose to afford to tick off a vampire.

Plus Danton was pleased, enough that he felt confident enough booking a flight to Italy that night. It was time to report to the Volturi at last.

* * *

AN: Oh no poor Emily, Danton strikes again! Next chapter will have a major confrontation, and some more crazy antics of our villain vamp. I was going to get this chapter up yesterday, but sickness hit me and I just couldn't bring myself to write on the computer. Not to mention studying for my huge test on Friday is kinda limiting my time at the moment. I'm not sure exactly when the next update will be, but I'll do my best to get it out soon. Thanks again to all you lovely readers out there, and as always I'm always grateful for any feedback!


	18. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight unfortunately, though I would be willing to buy Leah and Jacob with my nonexistent funds.

**Finding Peace**

**Chapter 17**

"Leah, are you awake?" Called Seth as he knocked on Leah's door at an ungodly early time in the morning. Leah covered her head with her blanket, trying to muffle her annoying little brother.

"Come on Leah," Seth said again when she didn't respond. "Someone is here to see you."

"Tell them to go away," she muttered in reply.

"I really think you should talk to him, he seems really upset," Seth said, this time opening her door and walking in.

"Him?" Leah asked curiously.

"Sam," Seth muttered.

Leah quickly got out of bed and went to open the door. "Why the hell would Sam want to talk to me?"

Seth shrugged. "No clue, but he acts like he's on the verge of losing it."

Though Leah didn't really care to speak with her ex, she was certainly intrigued enough to hear him out. Leah darted back in her bedroom quickly to throw on some clothes before heading down the stairs to face Sam.

"Yes?" she asked, not at all in a polite tone.

"Leah," Sam said in a saddened voice. Leah was immediately on edge, however, since it was the same tone he had in his voice the day he dumped her. She waiting for him to continue. "Something is wrong with Emily."

Leah certainly wasn't expecting that. "And you think I know?"

Sam shook his head. "No, yes, I don't know."

"Make up your mind, Sam," Leah snapped.

Sam sighed. "I guess I better start from the beginning."

"That might help," Leah quipped.

Sam took a deep breath, as he was surely trying to control his temper, but when he spoke it was calmly. "Last week something really strange happened to Emily when she went to the store the other day. She was perfectly happy when she left, but when she returned she looked terrified and wouldn't stop crying. I took her to the doctor and he said it was post partum depression, but I don't believe it."

"I don't either," Leah remarked thinking of her ever happy cousin. "I can't even imagine Emily being depressed. What did she say was wrong?"

"She wouldn't answer," Sam said heavily. "She apologized, but said she couldn't say anything."

And suddenly something snapped into place in Leah's mind. She recalled a time not long before when she was out of her mind scared, and that time it was because of a vampire. Leah also recalled the fact that there was a vampire in town the day that Emily's son was born. And she'd seen way too much over the last couple years to believe in coincidences.

"I was wondering," Sam continued. "If you would talk to her."

"Sure, Sam," Leah said with a small smile. "Let's go."

Sam looked baffled by Leah agreeing so quickly, but he didn't say anything as he led her to his car. Five minutes later, Leah was in Sam and Emily's small home, looking at Emily who looked as though she would never smile again.

"Emily?" Leah asked approaching her cousin. Emily didn't even look at her, but rather at her hands which were shaking.

"Hey, Em," Leah said kindly, sitting next to her. "Care to tell me what's bothering you?"

Emily looked up at her wearing a terrified expression. "I can't, I'm sorry, but I can't."

"Please Emily," Sam pleaded from the other end of the room. "We're worried about you."

Leah turned and glared at Sam. "I can't have girl talk with my cousin if you won't leave."

Sam gave one last wistful look at Emily, and then turned around and walked in the other room.

She directed her attention back at Emily who somehow looked paler then she did a few seconds ago. Leah breathed deeply and faint though it was, she could still smell a slight trace of the vampire stench she'd come to hate over the years.

"I know they are saying you have post partum depression," Leah started. "But you and I both know that's not it."

Emily looked up at Leah fearfully. "I'm sorry," she said.

"Why do you have anything to be sorry about?" Leah asked confused.

Emily shook her head. "Can't."

"I think," Leah said, whispering softly. "That you were visited by a vampire."

At this Emily gasped, and look even more horrified if it was even possible. "Don't say anything," she whispered urgently. "He'll kill Sammy."

"I won't," Leah promised. "But you need to tell me what he said."

"I won't say," Emily replied. "I have too much to lose and Sam can't phase to protect me anymore."

"Can you at least give me a hint?" Leah asked.

Emily shook her head. "I'm too afraid to."

"Don't worry, Em, we'll find him," Leah replied. "Of that I'm certain."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Emily replied softly. "And Leah, like I said before…I'm sorry."

Leah nodded, and excused herself from the house. Her mind was buzzing as she was trying to decipher Emily's words, but she knew without a shadow of a doubt what she must do now. She needed to speak with the pack.

* * *

Leah certainly wasn't ready to face Jacob again, and she didn't want to know what the rest thought of their shared kiss, but she couldn't ignore it when vampires were stalking her relatives. She had a hunch that it was the same vampire who attacked her in Seattle, but of course there was no way to prove it. Bloodsuckers all smelled the same to her anyway, so she couldn't really determine which vampire it was that attacked Emily.

Leah ran for the woods until she reached the deep cover before taking her clothes off and strapping them to her leg. She took a deep breath and braced herself, before quickly phasing.

For the first couple of seconds Leah felt relief when she didn't immediately hear any thoughts besides her own, but her hopes were dashed seconds later.

_Leah! _Came Jacob's surprised voice.

Leah cursed.

_Good to see you too. _Jacob replied sarcastically.

_Figures you would be here._ Leah remarked.

_Leah, what is your problem? I've given you space, and I've given you time. Why won't you talk to me about--- _

_I don't know! _Leah declared and before she could control her thoughts he heard what came next. _I think I'm falling in love with you and I can't stop it! Why else do you think I've been hiding away like some nervous wreck for weeks on end. I've been trying to figure things out, and no matter how hard I've tried I can't stop thinking about you. So go ahead Jacob Black, mock me for the rest of my existence, laugh about it with the guys, but I sure as hell aren't going to keep this locked away inside anymore. The next move is up to you._

All that Leah could hear next was pure and utter shock radiating from Jacob, but she didn't see the disgust and horror that she expected. Instead she saw relief?

_Leah… _Jacob started to speak. _How can you still think that I would mock you about this? I'm not the same teenager I was a few years ago and you know that. On top of that how can I tease you about this when I've fallen for you too._

Leah felt her heart race, and she felt an undeniable excitement that she hadn't felt in so long. The feeling that she was in love and that he loved her back was an astounding revelation to the bitter she-wolf who long ago gave up on falling in love ever again. But loving Jacob was so different from when she fell for Sam, and mostly that was because it came so suddenly that she couldn't see it for what it was initially. But she was in love with her Alpha, and there was no way of stopping it.

But then there was also the complication that still scared Leah. _I won't have my heart broken again. If you imprint then I won't stand a chance and I can't go through that again._

_Leah I can't say with absolute certainty that I won't imprint, but you have to trust that I'm not Sam. I won't hurt you like he did._

_I wish I could put my faith in you, but my heart has been broken, and it never really healed._

_So what is your plan then, Leah. Denying it? I don't think it will be that easy._

_No, Jake. I never said I wanted to deny it. I love you and while I'm still worried, life is too short to be worried about something that may never happen._

Leah felt Jacob's glee then, just as she entered the clearing where he stood in his wolf form. She trotted up to him.

_Will you be my girlfriend?_

Leah laughed. _You sound like such a geek when you say that, but my answer is yes. Don't blow it._

_I won't._

And just then Jacob and Leah both felt the shimmer in the air that meant other wolves were phasing, and within seconds the rest of the pack joined with them.

_Hey, what did we miss? _

* * *

AN: Sorry it has been so long since the last update, but getting sick on top of being insanely busy has made this chapter take much longer to write. I know I promised Danton in this chapter, but this wrote itself and I think you guys will approve of the changes—namely the Blackwater scene. Thanks again to all you lovely readers out there, and as always I'm always grateful for any feedback!


	19. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight unfortunately, though I would be willing to buy Leah and Jacob with my nonexistent funds.

**Finding Peace**

**Chapter 18**

Typical, Leah though frustrated. Just when she and Jacob were finally able to have a private conversation, the rest of the pack had to interrupt. She anxiously tried her hardest to forget about the conversation with Jake, and instead tried to focus on what Emily told her, but it was too late. All three of them accessed her memory at the same time, and all three of them had different reactions.

_No way_, Seth said shocked. _This isn't happening…_

Quil on the other hand was laughing hysterically, because apparently the thought of her and Jacob together was just too funny for him to handle. And Embry on the other hand directed his thoughts at Jacob.

_How?_ He asked simply.

_You read my thoughts and you still don't know? _Jacob snapped.

_But…Leah?_

_What about Leah?!? _Jacob growled in frustration.

Leah, however, was not used to anyone fighting her battles for her. _Shut up Embry, its n big deal and none of your business! That goes for you too Quil, Seth. _

_I'm so confused, _Seth muttered.

_Me too_, Quil said laughing some more.

_Shut up Mr. Nanny! _Leah yelled.

_I never saw this coming. So that's why you were sulking in your room…_Seth commented.

_Guys just drop it, _Jacob ordered.

_I don't know_, Embry said then. _This might be hard not to let spill._

_You wouldn't dare, _Leah threatened. _We want to tell others when we are ready._

_Right, _Jacob agreed.

Quil caught on quickly with Embry's train of thought. _There is one way to silence us…_

Leah realized what they were referring to. _No way!_

_Then I'm afraid it might just…slip._

_There is an easy way to fix that, _Jacob replied thinking of the Alpha command.

_Jake, you're no fun! _Quil muttered.

_Please, Leah, _Seth pleaded. _I don't think having a party will be that bad._

Leah sighed. _Fine, we can have a party. But if you guys will clean up all the messes._

_Yay! _

And then Leah remembered again the reason why she phased in the first place and she showed them her conversation with Emily.

_Stupid bloodsucker_, Jacob growled. _Now he has gone too far, we HAVE to find him._

_Why did he pick on Emily of all people? _Embry wondered.

_We have to find him before he strikes again_, Quil added.

Seth, however, noticed something even more disturbing. _Did you guys notice that Emily kept saying "sorry" to Leah over and over? Maybe that was a clue as to what the vampire was asking. Maybe he wanted to know about Leah._

_That's not good, _Embry commented mildly.

_He better not try anything, _Jacob replied darkly.

_We'll be ready if he does, _Leah answered then. _Because I certainly won't let him get the upper hand next time._

__

One thing is for sure,

Jacob said solemnly. _One day he'll regret messing with us, I guarantee it__._

* * *

**Danton's POV**

"You disappoint me Danton," Aro said in a solemn voice. "Has it really been that difficult to discover the identity of the female shape-shifter. I'm growing impatient and you will never get your reward at this rate."

Danton took a shaky breath that of course gave him no relief and he strode forward to stand in the middle of the darkened chamber where he stood facing the Volturi leaders. He had to fight down the anger that rose up in him so quickly when he heard Aro was close to backing down on his end of their agreement. But then he always made empty threats, and it would serve no purpose to lash out in fury when Jane or Alec could handicap him so quickly.

"I don't return empty handed," Danton declared. "I have not been idle in the time that I've been gone. I now know a great deal about the shape-shifters, the female in particular, and I was right when I said before that she was entirely unique."

"Please elaborate," Aro directed.

"This girl, she is the very first female to ever become a wolf. In their legends only men could become wolves, but she is unique in that respect."

"What else?" Aro asked.

"According to one of their stories, the only reason they become wolves is because of vampires. Their wolf gene only triggers when one of us is present, so it can skip many generations. They were bred to be vampire killers," Danton replied.

"Then we need to eradicate them," Caius added.

"Right now there are only five people with the ability to turn into wolves, and she is one of them. The Volturi guard would have no difficulty subduing them," Danton replied.

"I have one question," Aro mused. "Which vampires were the cause of their recent transformation?"

"The Cullens," Danton breathed.

"Figures," Caius muttered.

"Only five you say?" Aro asked quickly. Danton nodded. "Then I see no need to kill them now, but we can make them join us."

"How do you suggest we do that?" Danton asked.

"Simply," Aro said showing his perfectly white teeth in an eerie smile. "We capture the female of course, and the rest will come willingly."

AN: Thanks again to all my lovely readers, and I apologize for the lateness again. I'm also sorry that this is a little short, but I really didn't want you guys to wait any longer. I just got a new job, and things have been a little crazy lately, but I will do my best to at the very least get out a chapter a week. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, because things are going to get even crazier soon. And as always I'm always so thankful for any feedback.


	20. Chapter 19

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight unfortunately, though I would be willing to buy Leah and Jacob with my nonexistent funds.

AN: Well first of all I must say I'm SO sorry for it being so incredibly long for this chapter. I never meant for it to take a month but severe writer's block took over and I was finally able to escape its grasp. I will do my best to get the next chapter out ASAP. But I also want to thank all of my lover reviewers and readers for your continued encouragement for this story because it truly keeps me going. And with that said I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

**Finding Peace**

**Chapter 19**

"I can already see I'm going to regret this," Leah muttered as she scanned her living room in dismay. Quil and Embry's little party had already become extremely crowded, especially when the guys brought in a keg. How two underage guys got hold of that was a mystery to Leah, though they certainly looked old enough. Leah frowned as she looked around; seriously the whole teenage population of La Push must be here.

She finally spotted Seth and she snatched the cup of beer he was about to consume. He looked at her annoyed. "Leah!"

"Don't Leah me," she replied rolling her eyes. "I have to save my young, impressionable little brother from puking his guts out tomorrow. Not to mention it's a school night."

"Aww man," Seth complained. "You're no fun, and its Friday!"

"Mom would have a heart attack if she knew you were drinking beer," Leah said then.

"Mom would have a heart attack if she knew you were dating Jacob," Seth countered.

Leah quickly smacked her brother upside the head. "Shh! Do you want the whole res knowing?"

Seth shrugged, and Leah sighed. She consoled herself by drinking Seth's beer.

"Leah!"

Leah just ignored him as she looked around for the rest of the pack. Embry was in the center of the room flirting with as many girls as he could, Quil was having a beer chugging contest with someone, and Jacob was nowhere to be seen.

Suddenly she felt a pair of warm hands cover her eyes and a husky voice spoke. "Guess who?"

Leah reacted quickly, she elbowed him in the gut and spun around to look at him. Jacob was standing there wincing and holding the spot where she hit him.

"Geez Leah, why did you have to do that?" Jacob muttered.

"Because I could," she replied, and then lowered her voice. "And also because I don't want to give anyone reason to suspect us."

Jacob chuckled. "True."

"There is a third reason," Leah continued. "That was incredibly lame, seriously that is the oldest trick in the book."

Jacob rolled his eyes. "Will you ever change?"

"Never," she replied. "You would get bored."

"Impossible," Jacob argued.

Leah smiled then and took another cup of beer from the laden table. She handed a full glass to Jacob, and refilled her own.

"So, I bet I'll drink you under the table," Leah commented.

"Oh yeah?" Jacob asked playfully. "We'll see about that."

"On the count of three then," Leah said holding her glass up.

"_One, two, three!"_

* * *

_**Edward Cullen's POV**_

It had been over two years since he'd last been to rainy Forks, Washington, and to Edward it was not long enough. Losing Bella was the worst thing imaginable, and he still felt the loss so acutely that sometimes he didn't know how to keep on going. There were many times when the wish to be human was so strong because then he could escape his grief for awhile in the unconsciousness of sleep, or to be able to just end it all as a mortal. He came very close to offering himself up to be killed by the Volturi again, but one major thing stopped him—Renesmee.

His daughter, Bella's daughter was truly the one and only light in his life. If it weren't for the little girl aging rapidly every day Edward's already empty hole in his heart would be an unmanageable void. He loved her dearly and she was already robbed of her mother, and Edward wasn't selfish enough to take himself out of her life too.

After leaving Forks the Cullen family travelled back east for a long while as all of then dealt with what happened. The main thing they discovered after Bella's death was Renesmee's alarming growth rate, and only by travelling to Brazil were they able to discover the secret by meeting with another human/vampire hybrid. She would continue to grow until she was seven and then she would be forever frozen in the immortal state her vampire family were in.

"Edward?"

Edward nearly started, so wrapped up in his mind, he didn't recognize the faint footsteps of Alice entering his room. He glanced at her curiously, and immediately thought it was strange that she was thinking about complex math problems. It was something that she only did when…

"What are you trying to hide?" he asked.

She spoke softly and slowly, obviously trying hard not to give herself away. "I had a vision."

"What was it about?"

"Well," she said sheepishly. "We need to return to Washington."

"What?" Edward exclaimed.

"We need to go back to our house there, I don't know why…But I just know that Renesmee has to go there," Alice explained.

"Renesmee?" Edward said anxiously. "Why?"

"I don't know Edward, but we need to go now."

"What else?" Edward asking knowing that she was still hiding something.

"You're not going to like it, but the wolves are going to be involved!"

* * *

When Leah awoke the next morning she felt absolutely terrible. She immediately felt like she was going to hurl, but at the same time she couldn't move her body. She felt still all over, as if she slept on the floor yet she could feel her mattress beneath her. Leah also noticed two things at the same exact time. One that she was completely nude, and the second was that Jacob was in her bed.

* * *

AN: Sorry for the cliffy, but I hope it was worth the wait! Next chapter the Cullens will arrive, and Jacob and Leah have a major confrontation. Get prepared for fireworks! Anyway, I'm always grateful for any feedback!


	21. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight unfortunately, though I would be willing to buy Leah and Jacob with my nonexistent funds.

AN: I'm back again, and with another chapter since I felt so guilty about making you guys wait a month for the last one. This chapter is a little on the short side, and has a bit of a cliffhanger, but there is some Blackwater moments to make up for it. Enjoy!

**Finding Peace**

**Chapter 20**

Leah couldn't believe how stupid she'd been. The previous night was such a blur and was the first time in her recent memory that she got so drunk that she completely lost all of her common sense. She did sincerely love Jacob, but even so she never intended for last night to happen. Leah was still not so secure in her new relationship that she didn't feel that she made herself incredibly vulnerable during the party.

As soon as she was able to extricate herself from Jacob's grasp she quickly got dressed and went downstairs to observe the mess. There was so much trash in the place that Leah nearly would've gone on a rampage, but when she saw Embry and Quil passed out on the living room floor, she calmed down significantly. They wouldn't be able to escape without fulfilling their end of the bargain, Leah would make sure.

But in the meantime Leah needed to do something to take her mind off things, and she couldn't think of a better option than phasing. She went out her back door quickly running for the tree line and when she reached it she stripped, attached her clothing to her leg with a strap, and quickly morphed into the grey wolf form she so loved. Then as her memories began to surface again, she started to sprint pushing her body forward as fast as it would go.

As the minutes wore on Leah only just started to feel the fatigue from her blistering speed, but she refused to stop despite the protests from her aching muscles. And then suddenly Leah realized she wasn't alone any longer.

_Leah, what's wrong?_

_Jacob I don't want to talk right now. _Leah snapped back at him.

_What is your problem now, if you are mad about last night—_

_What happened? _Leah questioned.

_I don't remember much, _Jake admitted. _Too much alcohol._

_Neither do I, just go away Jake._

_Leah, I already told you I love you, why are you being so difficult?_

_That's what I do best!_

_Why are you so mad at me?_

Leah stopped short, turned and growled at Jacob who ran up right behind her. _Why am I mad? Well if you don't know then I won't fill you in!_

_You're mad because we were both too drunk to control ourselves?_

_Not quite!_

_You're mad because—_

And then Leah felt him probing her mind. She growled again at him, her claws digging in the earth. _Stop that! _

_I need a clue Leah, I don't understand why you're so pissed!_

_You are SO dense Jacob Black! _And then Leah turned and started to run again before she even had the chance to fully catch her breath.

_Does this have anything to do with Sam?_

_What are you talking about? I care nothing about Sam anymore!_

That's not what I'm talking about—Leah please stop, let's talk about this like adults.

Leah sighed and stopped again, collapsing in a heap right where she was_. Fine Jake, make it quick._

_I think you feel like last night was a big mistake because we just started dating and all, but Leah let's not worry about it because you know I love you and I don't want that to get in the middle of our relationship._

_Sam said the same thing once._

_Stop comparing me to Sam, Leah! _Jake glared at her in his wolf form, and she couldn't bear to meet his gaze. _Our situations are completely different, I'm not going to break your heart! You should trust me, if you don't our relationship is never going to last!_

_I'm sorry Jacob, but last night I let down my guard and I promised myself to never do that again. But you're right I need to trust you, and I'm sorry. _

_I love you Leah, never forget that._

_You too Jake, forgive me?_

_Of course, let's just forget this._

_Sounds good to me, wanna race?_

Jacob snorted which sounded funny from a wolf. _Let's do it!_

It only took a few seconds for Leah to stand and start to run, but Jacob was close at her heels already. If it hadn't been for her previous run, Jacob would long be eating her dust. But then something stopped her dead in her tracks.

_Smell that Jake?_

He wrinkled his nose. _Yes vampire._

Jacob howled to call the pack. _Those aren't just any vampires._

Leah smelled it again, and her hackles rose in annoyance. _You're right, what are the Cullens doing back here?_

_I'm going to find out._

* * *

AN: Yes the Cullens are back! Next chapter they will confront the Cullens and Danton will start to move forward with his master plan. Again I'm so grateful to all my lovely reviewers/readers of this story, and I'm always grateful for any feedback!


	22. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight unfortunately, though I would be willing to buy Leah and Jacob with my nonexistent funds.

**Finding Peace**

**Chapter 21**

Leah ran after Jacob through the woods as he ran directly for the Cullen's home, but when they drew close Leah stood outside the perimeter while Jacob phased and went up to the front door. S

_Hey what is going on? _Seth asked as he phased. _I heard Jacob's howl._

_The Cullen's are back._

_They are? _Seth asked surprised.

_So feel free to go and play nice with your buddy Edward Cullen._

_Leah—_

_Why does Jake want? _Embry asked suddenly.

_Yeah! _Quil added.

_Great, Beavis and Butt-Head have arrived. _Leah quipped.

_Hey!_

_So did you and Jake like your keg of beer last night? _Quil asked.

_Can it, Mr. Nanny! _

_Touchy! So you didn't like your beer?_

And then for a brief instant Leah recounted what really happened the night before. And if she thought they were speechless upon hearing about her and Jake's new relationship, nothing compared to this.

_Eww! _Seth squealed and then phased out presumable to barf in the closest shrub.

_I think she scarred him for life. _Quil said.

_I think I'm going to be scarred for life. _Embry countered.

_Grow up you two! And do something productive, like cleaning up the mess in my house!_

_It isn't that bad. _Embry complained.

_Do you think I care? _Leah snapped. _Clean it up, and I'll cover for you. It is only the Cullens anyway._

Knowing there was no way to argue anymore, the guys both phased out leaving Leah to her solitary thoughts once more. She felt much better now that she had the opportunity to speak with Jacob about what was really bothering her, but she still had a nagging feeling that something was wrong. The Cullen's being back in town only put her more on edge.

She never liked those bloodsuckers even if they were the friendly kind who never ate humans. They were still vampires and in Leah's book that was bad news. After all if they hadn't moved back to Forks in the first place then Sam never would've phased and Leah could've gone on living the same naïve life she once cherished. Not this rollercoaster of a life where she was an oversized canine half the time.

There were some benefits of course, and the major one now being Jacob. He'd really matured from that angsty teenager Leah once despised, and the man he was today was someone radically different. Leah couldn't say where their relationship was heading, but she did know one thing and that was that it felt completely different from what she'd had with Sam. And she could only hope that was a good thing.

Suddenly Seth phased back again and Leah could sense that her previous suspicion about him was correct. He certainly did act as though he was still nauseous.

_You are such a girl Seth…_

_I don't want to talk about it._

Leah certainly wasn't going to argue. _So did you enjoy the party?_

_I guess…_

_Wow, I thought you were more excited about it._

_I was, but the whole drinking till you puke wasn't much fun._

Leah snorted. _Yeah, that is why you don't drink till you puke. Anyway, good thing Mom isn't hearing this, she would flip out._

_Charlie wouldn't be happy about it either. _Seth added.

_Charlie doesn't scare me, Mom totally has him whipped._

_Very true._

And then the siblings were quite for a long while, the only sounds they could hear was the sound of their own breathing.

_I wonder what is taking him so long. _Leah mused.

_Me too, _Seth commented, _I think I'll go up to the house and find out._

_And say hi to your vamp pals._

Seth sighed. _And say hi to my vamp pals._

Seth phased out again and Leah waited another half an hour before she was starting to grow anxious. So much in fact that she was so close to going up to the house in her wolf form. But as it turned out she didn't have to since Seth reappeared soon after. There was something off about him though, and Leah couldn't detect what it was until he looked in her eyes.

"Leah, I don't know how to tell you this," Seth said.

Leah growled, urging him to continue.

"Its Jake," Seth start in a soft cautious voice. "He's…oh Leah I'm sorry, but he _imprinted_!"

* * *

**Danton's POV**

"Are we ready Devon?" Danton asked softly, as he paced back and forth in Devon's darkened home.

"We'll be ready tomorrow night," Devon declared. "The wolves won't know what hit them."

"And it is a new moon so we shall be able to keep ourselves concealed at least until they smell us," Danton added.

"And you better not desert me without giving me my payment," Devon threatened. "I don't care if you're my brother; I will tear you apart if you cross me."

"You needn't fear," Danton assured him. "I have no reason to trick you."

"Good," Devon replied, apparently satisfied. "Now let's feed before the sun rises."

"Already ahead of you," Danton declared, leading the way out into a Seattle residential neighborhood.

* * *

AN: Yes I know some of you guys will be upset about the whole Jacob imprinting on Renesmee thing, but before you all go on a rampage let me say that I have a method to my madness. I'm not a fan of the Jake/Nessie ship at all to be honest so yes he may have imprinted on her now, but things can always change—especially when I'm writing the story. Next chapter there is going to be even more drama (is that even possible?) especially when Danton makes his reappearance.

And I must of course give a shout out to all my lovely reviewers/readers once more. I've been writing fanfic for almost 8 years now and I've never had a story as popular as this one is. And like always I'm ever grateful for any form of feedback you guys want to give me!


	23. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight unfortunately, though I would be willing to buy Leah and Jacob with my nonexistent funds.

**Finding Peace**

**Chapter 22**

**Leah's POV**

"_He's…oh Leah I'm sorry, but he imprinted!"_

Leah felt her heart nearly skip a beat as her world all came crashing down in an instant. The brick wall around her heart that she'd slowly lowered for Jacob now evaporated as she felt all her defenses disappear in an instant. It was like a bad dream that returned with full force, and left Leah the shell of the strong person she usually was. Jacob imprinted, and Leah knew all was lost.

She couldn't bear to look in Seth's sympathetic eyes, and in fact she also couldn't stand to look at the Cullen's house where twice now the presence of the vampires ruined her life. Leah ran again, phasing as she went, and just as quickly shredding her clothes. But she didn't care, this time it didn't matter. Her heart breaking once was bad enough, but to feel the repaired pieces crumble yet again was more than Leah could handle. She felt betrayed, sad, and most of all downright furious.

She ran until her legs felt like jelly and she was forced to collapse to the forest floor. Leah didn't know where she was or what time it was, just that she needed to cry, something that her pack would be shocked to see, with the exception of Seth. The strong facade she wore as a badge was gone as she mourned her newest lost love. Though as she was still in wolf form she couldn't cry properly, but she didn't have the strength to phase. Leah barely registered that the night came and went, and woke from a dream full of nightmares only to remember the reality was still worse than anything she dreamed.

How could Jacob do this to her? He promised that he wouldn't imprint, and yet the second Bella Swan's hybrid spawn shows up, it's all over. After all why DID the Cullens come back anyway? This was like her perfect nightmare, full of darkness and no way to break out of the constant cycle of men who would love and leave her. For a moment she wished that the stupid vampire that attacked her a few months ago was here, because she really wanted to rip one to shreds.

And then suddenly Leah stopped as a foul odor entered her sensitive canine nose. _No way! _She thought smelling the vampire scent. Was she actually going to get the chance to attack a vampire today? And then she saw it—not one but two vampires came out of the bushes right in front of her. One of them she recognized instantly as the vampire that attacked her, and though the other was unfamiliar to Leah they look similar enough that she guessed they were related.

She stood quickly, and raised her haunches growling as the two vampires approached. She knew the odds of her winning a fight with two experienced vampires was slim to none, but Leah would go out fighting. Her instincts were telling her to run, but even with as fast a runner as she was, Leah didn't think she could outrun them both. This left only one option, to fight, and hopefully take down at least one of the vampires with her.

Leah glared primarily at the vampire who attacked her in Seattle. This bloodsucker was the main cause of all her problems, if it wasn't for him, she would still be living her old life in the city. The life before Jacob came and broke her already fractured heart. She bared her teeth angrily, as she ran through various plans of attack in her mind.

"Well brother," the first vampire said to the other. "I never imagined it would be this easy."

"You weren't kidding about the smell," the second said wrinkling his nose.

Leah growled.

"Oh this is going to be fun," the second one declared.

The two vampires split and began to circle Leah, and her mind was racing as she tried to judge the right moment to attack. And then they attacked. Leah felt their cold, strong arms grab her before she even had a chance to react, and her feeble attempts to bite were a failure as they totally rendered her defenseless. Leah totally expected to feel sharp pain from nasty bites, but what did happen she wasn't expecting. The strange new vampire drew a fist, and then the next thing Leah saw was black.

* * *

**Seth's POV**

Seth was on edge. Ever since Leah's infuriated reaction, and her disappearance into the forest, he grew more and more worried by the second. He knew that if he were to phase he would be subject to not only Leah's angry and bitter thoughts, but also to suffer the wrath of his interruption. He felt truly bad for Leah, this happening to her again was truly horrific.

The problem for Seth was that he really truly loved Jacob like the brother he never had, so that he could never truly hate Jacob for doing this to Leah. And it wasn't as if Jacob truly meant to break his sister's heart, just like Sam had never meant to break her heart, and Seth didn't honestly know how Leah was going to handle it this time. And because of the strange vampire that attacked her, Leah certainly couldn't go back to her old life in Seattle.

At long last he decided to phase and try to find her even though Seth was sure he was going to regret it. Seth stepped deeper in the woods to avoid prying eyes and then stripped out of his shorts, strapped them to his leg and phase in one smooth motion.

_Leah?_ He called out in his mind as he sniffed deeply. His sensitive nose quickly caught her scent which he followed eagerly. And then within seconds another smell entered his nose. The unmistakable smell of vampire, and it wasn't the Cullens either. Seth howled his swift trot turning into a mad run.

_Leah, are you here?_

Not gaining any response, the fear swell in Seth's belly like an angry bee and his panic for her safety grew with each step he drew closer. Within seconds his packmates responded.

_What's up Seth?_ Embry asked.

_Yeah, I was with Claire. _Quil protested.

_Leah—something's wrong---vampire. _Seth thought, and the other wolves read it in an instant.

_What's going on? _came Jacob's confused thoughts.

Seth replayed his thoughts from the moment Seth told Leah the news to the moment he smell the vampire. Seth could feel Jacob's shock and terror.

_Hold up Seth, _Jacob ordered. _We catch the vampire together._

Seth didn't like it but he slowed down, and impatiently waited the five minutes it took for the rest of the pack to join him. And then they charged forward racing swiftly and they soon reached a small clearing where Leah's paw prints suddenly disappeared. Two sets of human—thought probably vampire tracks intercepted her apparently, and it was quite obvious whom was the victor.

But then Seth spotted some white attached to a tree. He phased and picked it up. It was a letter, and his tanned face paled visibly within seconds of reading it. Three wolves looked at him expectantly.

"_The Volturi have Leah!"_

* * *

AN: I apologize for another cliffhanger and also for my lack of updates. I've really not had much motivation to write this story in awhile, and I'm definitely going to try and be better since I still love this story. I wish to thank all my loyal readers and reviewers for not giving up on me and for being so very patient, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter despite it being a little on the short side.


	24. Chapter 23

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight unfortunately, though I would be willing to buy Leah and Jacob with my nonexistent funds.

AN: Make sure to read the note at the end, for a new contest I'm hosting! Btw since I was asked, the note doesn't give much information, just says that the Volturi have Leah.

**Finding Peace**

**Chapter 23**

**Jacob's POV**

In a day that started out fairly strange in itself with waking up next to Leah and hearing herdeclaration of love, it only grew weirder with the Cullens reappearance and of course the fact that he imprinted on Edward and Bella's half vampire daughter Renesmee. It seemed like a cruel trick of nature that just when he found a woman that he loved unconditionally that the wolf in him would be attracted to a child.

Well it was a little unfair to call Renesmee a child, though she was the size of a five year old, she would be at the size and maturity of an adult by the time she was seven. This of course was all due to the fact that she was half vampire and human. Jacob had despised those horrible bloodsuckers for their responsibility in Bella's death and his imprinting had put them all in a new light. Even Edward the vampire Jacob despised the most was suddenly an acquaintance that he was now forced to associate with.

It was to be expected that Edward didn't take Jacob's interest in his daughter very gracefully, at least initially. And since the vampire could read his mind, it calmed him to realize that Jacob never intended to imprint on his daughter. And of course if Alice wouldn't have made them return to Forks then Jacob would've remained blissfully unaware that his sole mate was Renesmee.

And once Jacob had a moment to sort out his thoughts, he was dismayed to realize that inadvertently he had already betrayed Leah. She trusted him, and had given him the fragments of her newly mended heart and here he just had to imprint. It was so unfair to Leah, was it her fate to always be rejected by werewolves who find their sole mates? She'd been through so much with Sam and now Jacob didn't know if she would be able to handle the disappointment and grief again.

Jacob found that he couldn't stop looking at Renesmee. She was a gorgeous child and within seconds he was already devoted to her. Though she had no problem talking, she preferred to communicate in her own way by pressing her hands to his face and showing him through pictures what she wanted. It was truly remarkable. And Jacob could definitely see Bella in the girl, especially in those expressive chocolate brown eyes. It was like Bella was giving him a precious gift from beyond the grave.

"What did you do!?" Seth had asked him angrily when he walked into the Cullen's home earlier in the day.

Jacob looked at Seth, remorse crossing his features as he looked at Leah's brother. "I'm sorry," he said, not knowing what else he could say.

"You don't have to be sorry to me," Seth pointed out. "She's not going to take this well."

"Are you mad at me?" Jacob asked hesitantly.

"No," Seth said simply. "I know you had no control, and besides Leah is going to be mad enough for the both of us."

Jacob winced, "I know."

At that moment, Renesmee walked up, and pressed her hand to Jacob's cheek. Jacob nodded and spoke to her. "This is Seth Clearwater, he's a wolf too. Seth this is Renesmee."

Seth forced a week grin. "Hi Renesmee, what an interesting name you have."

"It is a mouthful," Jacob commented, frowning slightly. "Hey would it be ok if I called you Nessie for short?"

Renesmee nodded, smiling softly.

Edward snorted from the corner of the room. "Bella would roll in her grave if she heard you give her a nickname reminiscent of the Loch Ness Monster."

Jacob grinned. "Well what Bella knows won't hurt."

For a little while Seth chatted amicably with the newly christened Nessie and Jacob, but then he finally stood and looked distinctly nervous. "I need to talk to Leah."

Jacob sighed, "I should go with you."

Seth held up a hand, "No, I'll go first to soften the blow."

That had been hours ago, before the terrifying realization that Leah had been kidnapped by none other than the Volturi, the feared vampire royalty who always got their way. The wolves ran far and wide up and down the Olympic coast to see if Leah could possibly still be in the area, but they lost the scent once they reached the ocean. It seemed that the bloodsuckers had acquired a boat and for all intents and purposes it seemed that Leah was on her way to Italy.

Jacob had a war raging between his desire to always be around his imprintee and his love that he could somehow still feel for Leah. He loved her dearly, but with Nessie around, the wolf in him would always be forced to forget it. He almost wished to go back in time to before the Cullens came so he would know to stay far away from them, but as much as he wished to regret meeting Nessie, he couldn't force himself to feel that way.

One thing he could help but feel every minute was the guilt that it was because of him that Leah took off in the first place, and it was eating him away inside. He may have pushed aside his romantic love for her after he imprinted, but Leah was still his beta. They had formed an estranged friendship, and Jacob understood her more than anyone else. He couldn't let those vampires get away with kidnapping one of his pack members, and he wouldn't stand for it.

The Cullens immediately offered their assistance, and Carlisle offered to speak to Aro about Leah's release. The vampires offered to pay for plane tickets for the wolf pack, and they were all schedule to fly to Italy the next day. One thing was for sure, they were going to get Leah back, or die trying.

**Leah's POV**

Several hours had passed and Leah was still unconscious, but not for long. As she slowly became aware of her surroundings, she couldn't help but realize how cold she was. This was an altogether alarming situation since as a wolf her normal body temperature was enough to make a normal person have heat stroke. She couldn't imagine why she could possibly be cold, until she finally opened her eyes and realized that she was slouched between two vampires in a motorboat.

She felt the fury rise up in her like an angry hornet, but to her dismay Leah realized that her arms and legs were bound with thick rope. If it wasn't for her wolf healing abilities, she was sure that her arms and legs would already be chaffing from the cruel knots. Neither of the vampires paid any attention to her, but were both canning the horizon.

Leah could tell from the smell of the air that they were far away from Forks and La Push, and since she was lying on the floor of the boat, she couldn't see where exactly they were. And then Leah noticed something else, she was getting seasick something she always had on any boat. As a child her father could never take Leah with him on his fishing boat because she always felt sick in the first ten minutes. It seemed that even her wolf abilities wouldn't protect Leah from the motion of the ocean.

After an hour of nausea that neither abated nor caused her to puke, Leah was glad to realize the boat was slowing. It was also night now, with the only illumination coming from the distant lights of a far off city. Leah debated whether or not she should phase the first chance she got, but as there were two vampires, she wasn't sure if she could get away. There was also the danger of a vampire biting her which was fatal to wolves.

"Good evening Leah Clearwater," said the vampire that accosted her all those months ago in Seattle.

"What do you want?" Leah snapped at him.

"WE don't want anything from you," the vampire said in an enigmatic voice.

"Then who does?" Leah asked, her anger growing by the second.

"You'll find out, won't you?" the second vampire chimed in.

"And people wonder why I hate you leeches," Leah commented, thoroughly annoyed.

"I know we haven't properly introduced ourselves," said the first one. "I'm Danton and this is my brother Devon."

"I won't cooperate," Leah threatened.

"You'll have no alternative," Danton countered.

"We'll see," Leah replied.

"If you are talking about those werewolf buddies of yours, don't worry, we want them to come for you."

"It's a trap," Leah frowned.

"That's right," Danton grinned showing off his unnaturally white teeth. "The Volturi want guard dogs."

"Well if you'll pardon the pun," Leah said fiercely. "The Volturi might bite off more than they can chew because we won't come quietly.

"We'll see," the vampire threatened.

Suddenly Leah felt fear well up in the pit of her stomach that she hadn't felt since her father's death. She couldn't let them see fear and she would fight them no matter what it took. Even if that ended her life.

AN: I want to say a HUGE thank you to all the readers who are still reading this story despite my very bad timing with updates. I'm sorry to say that I've had such a big mental block with this story and it has been really hard to motivate myself. Now things are really moving along, and the next one should be out sooner than this one was.

For next chapter: The Cullens and the wolf pack go to Italy and there will be a startling discovery. It anyone can guess what this is, I will do something I've never done before; I will give that person a cameo in an upcoming chapter! If more than one guess right, I'm only going to reward the person who answers correctly first. And finally send me your guesses through pm so that there won't be potential spoilers for others.


	25. Chapter 24

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight unfortunately, though I would be willing to buy Leah and Jacob with my nonexistent funds.

**Finding Peace**

**Chapter 24**

_**Jacob's POV**_

Jacob hated being torn in two. His natural attraction and deep love for Leah tried to fight a losing battle against the power of the imprint for Renesmee. Every time when he tried to think of what he and Leah shared, images of the half vampire child would replace them. He really cared for Nessie, and while his love for Leah felt like a dream, it was a dream he wished would happen again.

And now the entire wolf pack along with the Cullens were on a plane to Italy. Carlisle was going to try and use his friendship with Aro to try and arrange for Leah's release, but if that failed they were going to have to try even subtler methods since there was no way that eleven of them were going to be able to take on the entire Volturi. But Jacob really didn't think they would give her up so easily, and he and his pack wouldn't leave without her.

He thought about Leah. She had to be furious with him, and this time Jacob knew that he deserved it fully. Why did he have to imprint now when everything had been going so well with Leah. She had fully recovered from Sam and here Jacob was repeating history. And she would hate him now, more than even Sam because he imprinted on a half vamp. Somewhere deep inside him, he felt the agony over breaking her heart. He didn't want to do this, but he had no choice.

"What are you going to do?"

Jacob started, then glared at Seth who was looking at him curiously. "What do you mean?"

"I mean what are you going to do about my sister?" Seth asked.

Jacob sighed, thinking about Nessie. "I think you know the answer to that."

"I wish I didn't," Seth muttered. "I don't want Leah to disappear again, she deserves so much better."

"I know," Jacob said sadly. "I loved her Seth, I really did."

"But that isn't enough," Seth answered. "She is still having her heart broken again."

Suddenly Carlisle was approaching them, and both werewolves look up at him curiously.

"We're landing in Italy in twenty minutes," he said.

"Good," Jacob said. "I'm ready to finish those stupid Volturi."

* * *

_**Leah's POV**_

Leah glared up at those so called vampire royalty, the Volturi. She had arrived a few minutes before with her captors, and they wasted no time bringing her straight to the Volturi headquarters. She glared coldly at all of the stupid leeches. Leah wondered again why fate seemed to hate her, not only did she lose the love of her life (AGAIN!) but she had to be captured by bloodsuckers. Someone up there had to be laughing right now.

"Leah Clearwater," said the leech sitting on one of the thrones. "We meet at last."

"The pleasure is NOT mine," Leah retorted rudely.

"You're manners have proceeded you my dear," the vampire said.

"I am not your dear," Leah muttered. "What do you want with me?"

"Right now," the vampire said standing up and offering her a hand that she refused. "I just want to talk with you."

"I don't," Leah commented. "I want to go home."

"You are home now," the vampire said with a cold smile, and then he grasped her hand.

Leah gasped as she saw all her memories in her life bubble to the surface, the vampire searching through them all with the matter of a few seconds. Then he let her hand go.

"You had NO right!" Leah yelled, furious.

"We're friends now," the vampire said. "By the way I don't believe I have introduced myself. I'm Aro and these are my brothers Caius and Marcus."

"I would never befriend a leech like you," Leah retorted.

"Perhaps my friend here could change your mind, Aro said kindly and then glanced at a young girl. "Jane, if you please?"

The girl looked at her and Leah was going to glare back. Instead she was overwhelmed with torturous pain that was so severe that she couldn't stop herself from blacking out.

* * *

AN: Hello, I haven't forgotten this story, though I know it seemed like I had. I apologize for it being so long, but I really lost interest in Twilight for awhile. I'm going to try and finish this story once and for all, and I hope to have updates every two weeks. Thank you to all of you who have reviewed this story, and I'm grateful for any feedback!


	26. Chapter 25

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight unfortunately, though I would be willing to buy Leah and Jacob with my nonexistent funds.

**Finding Peace**

**Chapter 25**

_**Leah's POV**_

When Leah finally woke again she couldn't stop the coughing fit that attacked her right away. If she ever got hold of that _Jane_… She looked up and glared at Aro, her rage growing nearly to the point of phasing.

"Why did you do that?" She demanded.

"Dog needed to be taught a lesson," said the vampire Caius.

"I am NOT a dog!" Leah shouted angrily.

"Wolf then," Caius amended. "Either way, you needed to be taught why you should never turn down Aro's offer of friendship.

Leah bit her tongue to avoid saying something she was sure she was going to regret. She didn't want to give that vindictive Jane any other reason to torture her.

"What do you want with me?" she asked.

"I'm fascinated with you and your pack," Aro said eagerly. "You are not true werewolves of course, but to think that there is a genetic trait to make you all shape shift in the presence of vampires."

"Which really explains why you had to kidnap me and all," Leah muttered.

"Ah," Aro replied. "But you see my dear, you are the most interesting one of all. I've researched the Quileute tribe and I know there has never been a female shape shifter. And the fact that you are pregnant makes you all the more intriguing to me."

"What!" Leah exclaimed, her mouth dropping open in shock.

"You didn't know?" Aro asked. "We picked up on it right away, pregnant women even a shape shifting dog woman exude a different scent. And if that wasn't enough, I can already hear the baby's heartbeat."

"No," Leah argued. "I'm definitely not pregnant."

"We are all quite certain," Aro replied.

"I can't be pregnant; I don't even function like a normal woman!" Leah declared.

"You are an anomaly," Aro answered. "Who is to say that the rules are not different for you?"

Leah hesitated, terrified of what Aro was telling her. She was pregnant, she was going to have a baby assuming the leeches let her live that long. Leah knew that night with Jacob was going to come back to haunt her somehow, but she never expected this. What would he have to say about his eminent fatherhood? Leah knew that she was terrified, but at the same time was instantly protective, and knew she would fight to the death to protect her unborn child.

"What do you want?" Leah asked.

"Like I said," Aro replied. "You are unique even among your own kind. We kindly offer our accommodations until your child is born."

"No," Leah replied. "This place stinks like leeches."

"You will soon learn to see things our way," Aro said, with a deceptive smile on his face.

Leah wanted nothing more than to punch him square in the jaw, but now she had more than just herself to look after. So she sighed and nodded, not daring to look back up at the horrible vampires.

"I believe Leah, this is what they call the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

AN: Well congrats to all of you who guessed accurately that Leah is pregnant. Things are definitely going to get a little crazy now. Thank you to all you amazing people who have reviewed this story and I'm always grateful for any feedback!

**UPDATE- 12/12/12- I will no longer be writing this story because I've lost every single bit of interest I once had for Twilight and to be honest I don't really care for the fandom much anymore. I am still grateful for those who made writing this story so enjoyable, but I don't want to force myself to put up subpar work when I truly don't care for it anymore. If anyone wants to take up the challenge to finish this then please be my guest. Thanks again to those who read and enjoyed this and I apologize that I won't be able to finish this.**


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